The Cooler Story

I’ve always been amazed how Heavenly Father inspires others to teach us exactly what we need to hear, exactly when we need to hear it. Such was the case the day a young, returned missionary visited to speak in our ward. He spoke of the typical principles of the gospel; faith, repentance and baptism. Suddenly, he said something that grabbed my attention and held me riveted to his every word. My heart leapt within me as he read to us the Bible Dictionary’s definition of repentance that I’d never heard before:

“A Greek word meaning -a change of mind. A fresh view about God and about oneself. …A turning of the heart, will, and mind to God…without this, there can be no progress in the things of the soul’s salvation. (Bible Dictionary –Repentance, p760)

“A change of mind. A fresh view.” The new idea in my dream! It hit me like a rock. This new idea was all about repentance. I finally understood: If I didn’t embrace this suggestion there would “be no progress in the things of [my] soul’s salvation.”  

It wasn’t until I’d been humbled countless times, and I knew that there was no other way, that my mind and heart could finally be opened to comprehend this beautiful gift. This new understanding came with such sweet relief; I flew forward—reading, studying, and praying for help to make this great change.

I finally understood what Nephi meant when he said,

 “O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever.  I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh.  Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm. (2 Nephi 4:34)

I was personally acquainted with that curse, and I was done with it. Trusting in the Lord with all my heart meant that I would have to remove the burden of expectations I’d placed on my husband’s shoulders and give them to my Savior. I finally understood that only when I turned to the Lord for my strength and trusted Him to take care of my family, would I would be freed from worry and frustration enough to feel peace when things came crashing down around me. I read Helaman’s words again with this new idea in mind:

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall. (Helaman 5:12)

By choosing to place my strength and hope in my husband, I'd been left defenseless when the whirlwinds and mighty storms had hit. By thinking that I could create our own stability—our own sure foundation—I had become personally acquainted with the “gulf of misery and endless wo.”

With this new understanding burned deeply into my soul, I made a huge foundational shift. An incredible burden was lifted from my shoulders. I was finally able to let go of my expectations and get down from the shoulders of my weary husband. I remember my first experience with this new light guiding my heart.

Our small house was cooled through the summer by an old swamp cooler. Every summer, I would inevitably end up on the roof before the summer was out, begrudgingly trying to fix this or that in order to keep it running. Occasionally, my husband would be around to help, but more often than not, it was I who was more motivated (by the desire for cool air) to get up and do something about it. Always with resentment in my heart, for the broken expectations of a husband who was supposed to fix things, I would go up and do what I could.

When the cooler quit this time, I took a deep breath, gathered my courage, and went up top to take a look. To my dismay, I found that not only had the motor died, but the whole cooler had rusted through in several places. Water was leaking out of the bottom pan through holes that were too big for bubble gum and duct tape. The whole cooler would have to be replaced. I sat down on the roof and let the tears run. The job was too big for me. I didn't want to do it. I knew I couldn't do it.

In past years, I would have panicked and dragged my husband up there to make him do something, but now I knew I couldn't even do that. With no one else to turn to, I bowed my head and pleaded for help from my Father. Feeling a little better, I wiped my tears and went to get a hammer, a wrench and a screwdriver. Still overwhelmed, but choosing to put my trust in the Lord, I climbed up the ladder again with the tools in my hand and a prayer in my heart.

I felt somewhat like Nephi, "not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." As I looked closely at the cooler and started to undo the screws, something beautiful happened. I felt relaxed and happy. Heavenly Father cleared my head, and I was able to see how it was put together and what I needed to undo each step of the way. When screw after screw was rusted tight, He helped me with patience as I worked to loosen each one. Each time I would smash a finger or come to a “wall,” He would send the sweetest breeze by my face to remind me that he was right by my side. He filled my heart and mind with beautiful thoughts of peace and gratitude as I enjoyed the beauty of the neighborhood from the vantage point of my rooftop. It took quite a while, but we—my Heavenly Father and I—were able to get the whole cooler dismantled and off the roof.

I looked from the pieces on the ground to the hole in the roof and savored the feeling of success. But I wasn't finished yet. Now I needed to find a cooler that we could afford. A new one was out of the question. I grabbed a little catalogue for used items and prayed again for Heavenly Father's help. After about an hour of calling around, I found a cooler that would fit both the hole in our roof and our budget. I asked my husband if he could help me retrieve this new cooler, and he was happy to go.

When I saw the new cooler, I was touched again by the Lord's tender mercies; it was not only the right size, but also the exact same model and design as our old one—in beautiful, brand new condition.

My husband volunteered, with the help of a couple of strong neighbor boys, to lift the new cooler up onto the roof. But once my husband got it that far, he felt finished and went inside

to do other things. This time, I was okay, though. My Heavenly Father had helped me get to this point; I knew that somehow, he would help me with the rest of the job.

Sure enough, not an hour went by when a neighbor knocked at the door. He had noticed the cooler on the roof and stopped to see if we needed help. He found a friend, and together, they showed up first thing in the morning—tools in hand. We had an amazingly pleasant experience attaching the new cooler to the roof. We worked together with smiles and laughter and were blessed again with cool breezes across our hot faces as sweet reminders of our Heavenly Father's companionship.

Each time I turn on our cooler these days and bask in its refreshing coolness, I'm reminded of how I’d trusted in the Lord, and how He’d been there for me. It felt wonderful to know that I could depend on the Lord even for the most physically strenuous tasks. I could now remove even more of life's burdens from the shoulders of my husband. My trust in the Lord was growing to include every aspect of my daily life.