Hung Up

Do you ever find yourself facing a challenge that you can spend way too much time on trying to solve, and yet you must finish the project?

This question is loaded. We all face these situations in life. Human beings are amazing at how our brains work and all that is found within our subconscious. We are so intricate, and yet some of us will give up and walk away from solving the mystery and are then left in the unknown. The unknown is not fulfilling and lacks the wholeness that can complete our lives.

This past weekend, my husband and I were nearing the end of a bathroom renovation that we took on ourselves due to lack of finding anyone else willing to tackle the job. The bathroom is small and located on the second floor in our condo at the beach. It was probably in that established state for over the past 40 years. It was desperation time, and I was not going to let another summer pass without a remodel. There were two trim molding cuts and three pieces of trim standing in the way of finishing the bathroom. I had worked on trying to achieve the appropriate angle cut on Saturday for several hours. The weekend before, my husband, had worked for several hours trying to solve this same challenge. I thought I had it figured out on the wall with a two angled piece of trim, but then I could not figure out how to piece together the one piece of trim on either side that needed one cut to marry together. I watched countless YouTube videos, which confused the heck out of me with my dyslexic brain. I called my brother, an engineer and home do-it-yourself guy, and he commiserated with me that yes, cutting trim can be really hard. He gave me a solution, but I only had a miter saw, and not the appropriate tool. Even so, I did not think I could "hack" it with the saw he recommended. I walked away on Saturday evening from this task, yet again. Sunday morning after watching church on-line, I determined that I had a solution. We had 45 minutes from the time we had said we would leave to go home. I got the saw on the back porch and went to work. I cut all three pieces, and powered up the nail gun and set them in place along the ceiling joint. Then I grabbed my caulk gun, and proceeded to fill in the gap that was minimal, yet present. I felt accomplished, and we were only a little late leaving.

I began to wonder, why did that take me so long? Why was I so hung up on getting these 3 pieces in place? There are people who can make these miter cuts like combing their hair. I realized that I had done so much work. I relied on help from my husband. I watched professionals try to demonstrate how to install this trim. I had reached out to my brother. Yet, I had not spend alone time with God, other that reading the book of Job. After watching the sermon on-line and singing praise songs, I was able to finally complete the task at hand. The sense of relief I had after completing this challenge gave me peace and took so much of this heavy feeling that I had been holding onto, off of my mind and body.

I mentioned that I had read the book of Job this past weekend. I found so much in this book that I learned was written approximately 2100- 1800 B.C.. That's before Christ. Job was an extremely faithful man. He was released to severe suffering that God allowed Satan to inflict. Job never accepts blame when questioned by his friends, while he was suffering with horrible skin disorders. Instead he stands firm and proclaims all that God is, does, and knows. He was a man of great wisdom, in addition to his great faith.

In Job 9: 9- 10, Job makes a statement about God that got me. He says, "He is the Maker of Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south. He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted." This verse stuck out to me that even some 4,000 years ago, the constellations in the sky had already received their names.

When I was young, my Dad, would take us outside on varying times of the year to watch meteor showers or just to look at the stars. He shared his love for the night sky by sharing his knowledge. I know Orion's belt whenever I see it in the sky to this day. I also can identify the Pleiades, or the Seven Sisters, a cluster of open stars in the night sky. Wisdom has been passed down through the ages for all who long to take the time to learn. We must have the desire, and take the time to gain knowledge. We also must have faith in the one who shares the wisdom that he is truthful and knowledgeable.

Humans long to learn and grow to survive and advance. God counts on that intricate detail hidden within each and every one of us, a longing to seek and gain understanding. He longs for us to survive and advance to be united with Him again, after this lifetime.

Throughout all the loss and suffering that Job endured, his faith and belief in God persisted. He was later restored and blessed by God with more than He had lost. Job is recorded in the Bible, a story about a man that helps us to understand, "why godly people suffer."

I believe that my persistence, along with God's insight, helped me to solve my angle challenge that I was presented with during the final stages of my bathroom remodel. Human nature prompted me to rely on others, and not turn to the source of where wisdom is rooted, God. How great is our God! Take the time to learn and grow in the faith of the One who comforts us and gives us peace.

"Oh that my words were written! Oh, that they were scribed in a book!

That they were engraved on a rock with an iron pen and lead, forever!

For I know that my Redeemer lives,

and He shall stand at last on the earth;

and after my skin is destroyed, this I know,

That in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself,

and my eyes shall behold, and not another.

How my heart yearns within me!"

-Job 19: 23- 27