I remember growing up watching my dad do beautiful construction work and put lots of things together. He was always good with his hands. Just amazing.
Still is.
Funny thing is, he hated instruction manuals. You know, my dad was old school. He'd disassemble anything and put it back together again, even if it was being held together by string, duct tape, and clothes pins.
I learned from him that, "Where there is a will, there is a way".
See, dad didn't like to wait around for instructions. He liked to jump right in and try his hand at new projects without help...no matter how challenging. Though he was able to accomplish some pretty neat things, dad's method had some drawbacks too.
Sure, lots of times the work would flow pretty smoothly. But then, there were those dreaded days and nights when, after hours and hours of frustration, he'd cave in and finally pull out the instruction manual.
I would often be tasked with standing by and reading all that dry, mundane, tiny print, silently wondering, "Why in the world didn't he just read the directions in the first place?"
Of course I never uttered the thought.
I wasn't crazy.
I think we all frustrate ourselves from time to time with our unwillingness to follow instructions, but we could save ourselves lots of time and hardship. Better yet, we could avoid circling the same mountain over and over again if we would just receive help.
I like the saying, "I'd rather do it right than do it over".
In other words, I'd rather take my time, learn what I need to learn, and do it right instead of hopping in with no instructions and wasting time doing it wrong; only to have to repeat the same process later after being at my wits end!
This post also makes me think about my 2 year old son Kaleb. He's fiercely independent, so he often tries to do things that far exceed his abilities. I'll offer help, but usually he isn't open to that. Nope. It isn't until he fails over and over again and drives himself crazy, that he finally breaks down whimpering and asks, "Will you help me Mommy?"
We do the same thing, but we don't have to.
You see, God always provides help if we're willing to accept it. It has been said and I've said it before, "When the student is ready... the teacher will appear".
Just make sure that when your teacher appears, you're willing to be taught.
No matter what you're seeking to accomplish, know that you can't do it alone, nor do you have to. If, by chance, you're dealing with something that seems "over your head", don't worry. Help is on the way. God is going to send the instructions you need. All you have to do is follow them.
Is the student ready yet?
As always, thanks for reading, and until next time... may you be empowered to prosper!
Dianna Hobbs
www.eewmagazine.com
