😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you. When Brian and I owned our lawn care and landscaping company we worked side by side from sun up to sun down, and then we got to go home together. We were with each other 24/7. Spending that much time together, side by side in a truck, on the worksite, and at home, you quickly discern each other’s strengths and who should take the lead on different aspects of a particular project. To this day, we say that “We work great, separately together.” In other words, we each know our part, focusing on specific tasks, to accomplish the overall goal. Brian and I are a good example of opposites attracting, but there is some middle ground in which we both have a similar strength, in which we end up butting heads on opposite approaches to accomplishing the task and goal.
During those many hours together, Brian and I also had the opportunity to have many conversations that we never would have, if we worked separate jobs. Because of these conversations, we grew to know each other on a much deeper level than we would have otherwise. In the same way, as you and I work through the ins and outs of life, in the moment, we often don’t know where that situation might take us or how it is preparing us for future events; until we experience that future moment and look back with a bit of a smirk on our face and say to God, “Oh, I see what You did there.” Honestly, I enjoy those moments. I very much enjoy working jigsaw puzzles and that’s what those moments remind me of. It’s like when you spend hours or even days looking for a particular piece. When that one piece is placed in the puzzle, it brings fullness and clarity to that particular area, even though there are still gaps in the puzzle.
That’s how I’ve been feeling lately about our home build. The pieces certainly aren’t going together nearly as quickly as we expected and wanted. There are still plenty of gaps in this puzzle. But I also know there will be a tipping point at which this project will, all of the sudden take off and 10 pieces suddenly drop into place and the picture will start revealing itself.
Your relationship with God can often feel that way as well. You spend hours searching and trying to discern, but they bring you to gaps and sometimes even potholes. Even though discouragement may fill your hours, don’t stop spending time with God. When you put in that consistent “Side by Side” time, you will get to know each other extremely well. You will begin to realize who’s strengths work best in different situations and know when to take the lead and when to follow. Together you will fill the gaps and reveal the picture of your life.
Bless others and be blessed.
Shelly :0)
If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others. Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday.
#JordanFeliz – Next to Me
Third Day Devotions 