When I was young, I would let challenges frustrate or even anger me. Mom’s advice would be to stop what I was doing and do something else for a while. I rarely wanted to do that. I wanted to resolve the issue, and I wanted to resolve it then!
Have you ever let a challenge frustrate or anger you?
Mom has a gadget that uses a memory card. From what was shown in the directions, her memory card should have worked fine. She put it into the gadget, and she pushed down a little. I pushed down on it some more. It kept going. I tried to retrieve it with a screwdriver. It kept going. With every effort to remove it, it went deeper and deeper into this gadget.
I offered to buy her another gadget. She assumed blame for half. We went shopping. Three stores later no perfect replacement was found.
While we were out, duct tape was one of the 2 things that crossed my mind as a possible solution. We tried another tool, but it was too wide for the slot. Mom asked me if I were going to try the duct tape.
I carefully cut it to fit. I covered most of the sticky per her suggestion. I inserted it into the slot, and I ran the screwdriver into the slot and pressed the tape tightly to the top of the memory card. With a quick jerk on the tape, I attempted to get the card to at least surface.
In my “infinite wisdom,” as the tape came out of the gadget, I sat staring at the slot. I wondered why I had not felt any resistance. I had not felt the tape peal from the top of the card. I hadn’t heard a sound. What happened?
What happened was that the memory card was now stuck firmly to the tape and swinging in the air. I had not had the faith to believe that it would work. I looked at Mom and said, “Thank God for duct tape! I’m not sure I remembered to ask Him to help, but I am going to thank Him now.”
What was God up to in all that? I’m not sure. The break had given me clarity. I’ll give God the credit for providing the solution.
LIFE APPLICATION
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 5:6-11
Do you get excited and frustrated with challenges? Do you get angry and blow your witness? Do you take your problems to God? Do you thank Him for your solutions?
God cares for you. He knows your plight even when it is just someone else’s memory card – full of pictures that are nearly impossible to replace – that has been swallowed up by a gadget because the instructions were poorly written.