PHOTO: The "triple threat."
When my push mower, riding mower and ATV all went on the blink at the same time, it felt like a conspiracy of the cruelest kind... for some of us weren’t blessed with the greatest of mechanical abilities.
Overwhelmed, procrastination set in. And so did the tall grass.
Up against a wall, I went to an internet blog stream and found that my ATV may have a bad spark plug. Further advice also steered me toward rebuilding my carburetor. Yeah, right.
After a frustrating week of trying to find the right socket size for my ratchet, I finally found one at my hardware store and went back and changed the plug. To my surprise, it started and all of the angels in heaven rejoiced along with me because they too know that I’m a klutz when it comes to mechanics.
While standing in the line at the hardware store to purchase my socket, I noticed a shiny red Troy-Built push mower and I was sore-tempted to simply buy it and wave the white flag over my old one. I mentioned to the hardware store manager that my front-wheel drive is seized and another guy in line showed me how to take off the wheel guard and free it up. I went home and tried it and that worked. I heard the angels modulate!
Finally, I was at work and a gentleman came in and asked me how I’m fairing with my tractor. I told him it was fine, but my riding mower had bitten the dust. He suggested that I use my tractor bucket to lift up the riding mower in order to get underneath the deck. I went home with some optimism and that worked. Now the angels are getting soar throats!
As I was working on each of these projects, I was murmuring about difficulties and problem projects seeming hard - as if God had given me something beyond my abilities.
As I was cleaning out the seized wheel on the push mower, I distinctly had the sense that He was walking me through something over my head so I could hear the angels overhead.
PORTAL TO HEAVEN: Difficulties are God’s way of showing His nearness. When something is not natural to us, we have no choice but to lean on God and let Him walk us through it. And when I look at the cut green grass, I’m led to join the angels’ singing.
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I…But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him…And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose…Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Psalm 61:2 KJV, Romans 8:28 NASB, Matthew 7:7 NASB, James 1:5 NASB