Ever have a job to do and you just couldn’t get it to work out? Maybe it was something you were trying to change or replace, and you couldn’t find what you wanted to change it with? Maybe you were frustrated over trying to get someone else to do something and they wouldn’t budge. Maybe you have experienced all of these. I have. But there’s one experience that always sticks out in my head, maybe because it involved my head.
We had bought our new house and I was remodeling a lot of it myself. I had worked countless days between the new house, taking the kids to school and picking them up, doing all the normal mom things, and selling our old house. And I was down to the last item of remodeling on my list. I had painted, pulled paneling off the walls, textured, laid vinyl floor tiles, among other things and all I had left was taking a desk out that had been attached to the wall in the laundry room. I thought this was going to be easy. So, I had lunch and went to work on it.
I looked at the desk to determine what tools I would need. I figured only a crowbar and hammer would get the job done. I put the crowbar in place where I thought it should go and started to hammer it. My plan was to simply pop the desk off the wall but instead I put a hole in the wall! What?! That wasn’t supposed to happen! So, I moved the crowbar to the next spot I thought would work and again began to hammer. What?! Another hole! Something was not working the way I had planned. I tried one more time, again another hole. I was now thinking I’m going to have to fix the holes, so this is adding to what was already the end of my list and my time before I had to pick up the kids was about done. After five holes in the wall, I was frustrated, angry, tired, discouraged, but not giving in. I had to finish that day! It was my plan!
I called my husband to please pick up the kids and fix supper. I kept working on my unbudgeable desk. I was now so tired.
Evening came and I had made no progress, but I had made a couple more holes. In my total frustration and exhaustion, I sat down in front of the desk and started to cry, “I can’t get it God. I need your help?” Suddenly, I felt like my head was being firmly turned in one direction. As I opened my eyes and looked straight ahead there was a nail. Then my head turned firmly the other way and there was another nail. Two nails were all that was holding that big desk to the wall. My unbudgeable obstruction was simply removed when I pulled out the two nails. I felt like someone had turned my head and whispered softly, “Here is what you need to see.”
I don’t know if it was the desk or my stubbornness to get the job done in my power that was my unbudgeable obstruction that day. What I do know is that God showed His power and that He held the knowledge I needed. All I had to do was ask. He answered me in a very simple, soft way, the way of a whisper.
I’m thankful that my God will even knock me in the head to get my attention. He cares enough and loves me enough to do that, to forcibly turn my attention to what He wants me to see. And I’m thankful He’s there even when I’m not looking toward Him first.
What are your unbudgeable obstructions? What are you thankful for?
Unraveled Encouragement 