I’ll be honest here, I’m not terribly handy from a mechanical point of view. Yes, I can work my way through things, but it’s not second nature to me.
This point was further highlighted when I went to hang some hooks in my room. They hung by two brackets so it wasn’t quite as straightforward as hanging them by one nail. Not a big deal, it would just require a bit more effort to line up the nails and such.
As I got the hooks hung, checked to make sure if they were level, and went to remove them, they stuck to one of the nails. Unconcerned, I decided to just let them hang from the single nail as I adjusted the other exposed nail. This simple decision had unexpected – almost unbelievable – consequences.
Disaster
Hanging from the single nail lasted but a moment for the hooks. The weight of them pulled the nail out of the wall, causing the hooks to fall to the floor, breaking a mirror and another decorative hook sitting nearby. Unbelievable.
I just had to pause and ponder – how on earth – and why? I was simply trying to improve on things and decorate a little. True I could get someone who knew what they were doing to help me, but seriously, how complex can hanging hooks be? (evidently more complex than I gave them credit!)
And this isn’t the only instance when things like this happen. We can be doing our best, pressing on, improving on things or perhaps just working on our work, and then catastrophe hits! Why is this and what can we make of it?
A New Perspective
I read an interesting take on situations such as this. Essentially, don’t let the trials bring you down, they are often confirmation that you’re headed in the right direction! Press on and don’t let it discourage you.
Remember the parable of the wheat and the tares? The servants wanted to pull out the tares from the wheat field but the owner told them to leave them until harvest. The same holds true for us. We want to remove the difficulties and the trials, but the truth is this is what develops our character and helps us grow!
Ecclesiastes 3:11a says that “God has made all things beautiful in its time….” and I love this reminder. I truly don’t believe I can be reminded too much of God’s love and kindness!
Happy Ending
To finish the story I started with, the hooks are hung and both broken items are now glued and as good as new. I couldn’t help but pause and consider the broader meaning the whole experience had for me. When the hooks fell and broke things, I felt like I messed up – even if not intentionally – and it left me uninspired.
But as I stood there once everything was repaired and put in its place, I had a special satisfaction for the whole project. I had seen it through even amid unseen holdups and petty annoyances. True, it was a tiny project, but sometimes it can really be the little things that get under our skin, can’t it?
Remember no matter what you are going through, God makes all things beautiful in time. Never give up and don’t lose hope!
Until Next Time!
Hope.
PS. Keep reading: https://www.theamericanlady.com/2018/12/26/new-every-morning/