“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21

Thadd used to say that a challenge or problem was just an opportunity – to find a solution. I always liked that. He was also a proponent of having the right tool for any job. My garage is testimony to that!

My little getaway presented me with a couple of “opportunities” and a case for the right tool.

No stovetop? No problem. I’ve had this little single burner hotplate for so long, I can’t even recall from whence it came. No problem to pack it, a pan, and a spatula for my trip. Breakfast will be a snap.

Or so I thought.

The first morning, no sharp knife proved a bigger challenge when it came time to cut my potato to fry. But, hey, I’m resourceful. There’s a butter knife. I’ll use that.

And use it, I did.

Oh, it did the job, slowly and with more strain on my wrist, but the potato was cut. It may not have been easy, but it got done, and my breakfast was yummy.

Now, would I recommend using a butter knife to cut and slice a potato? No. I would not. It is definently not the right tool for the job and it was certainly more difficult, but it DID get the job done.

Life poses many “opportunities”. And often, we feel ill-prepared and ill-equipped to engage them. We can complain and argue, whine and stomp our feet. We can avoid and hide, or walk away. Or we can, well, let’s be real here, AFTER we do a bit of all of that, we can put our big kid pants on and surrender to the Lord, seeking new solutions and turning challenges into opportunities.

God will show a new way, and He will provide the tools. They may not be what you envisioned, or even wanted, but He will give what is needed to “get the job done”. The biggest question becomes – do you trust Him enough?

Call them what you want – speed bumps, hurdles, challenges, problems. When all is said and done, it’s all a part of life. Let’s see the opportunities and find solutions – using whatever tools are available. God has much to teach us as we walk through the solutions.

#keepingitreal