The Drill That Wouldn't

The task seemed simple: I was to install curtains in our bedroom. I have installed many a curtain over the years and knew that this would be a breeze.

There was just one thing … I couldn’t get my cordless drill to go past the drywall.

You see, in order to install the curtains, I had to drill into my wall to install a plastic anchor. Anchors look similar to corkscrews; they “screw into” drywall. After you drill a hole, you screw in the plastic anchor. Then, it’s a simple matter of screwing in a metal screw, which is what attaches the curtain rod to the wall. If you tried to insert a metal screw without an anchor, it would easily pull away from the drywall (which isn’t a good thing).

No matter how much I tried to force it in, it wouldn’t work. I checked the drill bit and realized I was using one of my old 3/16” bits. “I guess it’s dull,” I thought to myself and proceeded to walk down from the 3rd floor to the garage in order to get a newer bit.

Once I began to rummage in the garage, I realized with a groan that my new bits were at the office.

Sigh.

I DID however, found a newer drill bit set that my dad had given to me just a few weeks back.
“GREAT!” I thought … until I realized that my dad (as was his prerogative) had given me some of his EXTRA bits in the set.

The 3/16” bit was missing.

“I’ll just use the next larger bit,” I mused as I trudged up the stairs and proceeded to drill again.

Same result. The bit would only go through the drywall.

It felt like I was trying to drill into a steel plate.

On a whim, I got out a masonry bit, which is designed to bore through concrete and bricks.

Same result.

It was somewhere around this point that I glanced at the drive setting on the drill.

It was set on “Reverse”.

Have you ever tried to leave a building by PULLING on a door that’s clearly labeled “PUSH”?

Rather frustrating, eh?

Yeah.

Everything went a lot smoother (more or less) after that epiphany. I wished I had checked the drive setting FIRST.

Many difficult situations are easily solved in hindsight.

But what about when you’re in the middle of something, and it’s a lot more serious than attempting to install a curtain rod?

When faced with the trials of life, the question we often turn to is “How am I going to get through this?”

Maybe the question we should be asking ourselves is “Who do I think God is?”

Our understanding of who God is shapes how we deal with life. If we see God as an entity that created everything, set things in motion, and then took a step back to watch (while occasionally getting involved in our affairs) then we are forced to “pull ourselves up by our bootstraps”. Our lives become ruled by the sweat of our brow and the roll of the dice.

We may take another extreme viewpoint in believing that God is so involved in everything that we are mere puppets and He pulls all the strings. In that case, why bother doing ANYTHING, because you have no responsibility for your actions.

My beliefs can be found somewhere in the middle. You see, I believe God is a person. He is personally involved in our lives. He knows our names, our fears and our dreams. He cares for us so much that He offered His only Son, Jesus, to take away the penalty for our mistakes. I believe He gives us choices.

God is not interested in mindless robots. He wants to connect with us, YES US!

The result of believing in God as All-powerful Creator, Redeemer and Friend is a life spent walking with Him. When life goes well, we know He guides our steps. When trials come, we know that He’ll hold us close. When we screw up, we know we can find forgiveness.

So often, we keep doing the same things and achieving the same results. Sometimes we just need to step back and look at the bigger picture.

Why do we continue to insist on carrying burdens that we were never meant to shoulder?

Is there a “Reverse” button that you need to pay attention to?

Joe

Matthew 11:25-30
At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!

“My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Psalm 55:22
Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

1 Peter 5:7-11
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.

In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen.

NLTse