An Attitude of Gratitude: Instructions
Constructing assembly required purchases usually does not intimidate me. I figure if I follow the instructions, things will turn out like they are supposed to. My final product will look like the item pictured on the box….most of the time. Recently, I had the opportunity to put my construction skills to the test. Bible Study Mama happily volunteered to help with the heavy lifting. I did not even have to ask. She considers herself a jack-of-all-trades.
Our first project started off just fine. Except for the fact that my assistant was ready to put it all together without looking at the instructions. I had to remind her that the instructions were there for a reason. It would not hurt us to consult them before we got way off track. She agreed and we plowed our way through the construction. As we neared the end, we hit some snags. Screws were not fitting the way that the instructions said they should fit. Bible Study Mama remembered that she had questioned the positioning of two pieces of steel way at the beginning. We switched them around and everything fit beautifully.
Our second project went off without a hitch. We were breezing through the assembly. I looked intently at each pictured stage and asked for the required screws and tools to complete my part. One of us even made the comment that we would be finished in a jiffy. Big mistake. As we entered the final stages of construction, things were off-balance. We pushed. We pulled. We flipped. We sweated. I gave Bible Study Mama the instructions and asked her to look to see if I was seeing things clearly. She saw our mistake. We were able to finish our task.
What if I had held on to the instructions for dear life? Our project would have reminded lopsided and unusable. Cute to look at it but not ready for practical use. Even though I pride myself on constructing home projects, I reached a point where I was holding up our progress. I pushed my pride to the side and asked for help. I use that same principle in my spiritual life. It can be easy to feel that we have things figured out. We can read. We have our own Bibles. But isolation from fellow believers can leave us lopsided and unusable. I am grateful that I have the instructions in God’s Holy Word and fellow believers to hold me accountable for my missteps. #wepreach
