This morning I was praying about something. Actually, that's not truthful. I was mentally problem solving without actually praying about it. I was planning-- which is a good thing, right? But God interrupted my planning session by showing me a can of food with the top open. The problem was, it had been opened by cutting across the top in two directions. The cuts were perpendicular to each other, as though cut from north to south and east to west. Then the triangle-shaped cut edges had been pried upward with a knife, so that now the top of the can looked like a particularly sharp and spikey crown.
This was a problem for several reasons. First, the food was not actually accessible, because the top of the can was still in the way. Second, the way the sharp edges were sticking up, any attempt to reach in to get the food would result in nasty cuts to my hand. Finally, it was unclear how the can had been cut open. With a hatchet? With an electric grinder? If with a hatchet, then the food inside was probably okay. But if a grinder had been used (which was my first thought on seeing the damage) then the food was now ruined by the tiny little metal fragments thrown into the food by the action of cutting it open that way. Also, it would be hard to salvage the situation at this point, because the pried up edges would make it difficult to use a normal can opener. The shape and tension were wrong. Could I manage it? Probably. Eventually. Perhaps. But it would be difficult and frustrating.
We do this a lot in life. We encounter a problem, but we are impatient. We attempt to solve it immediately using the tools on hand instead of waiting for the right tool. We don't ask God what to do, we just put on our Bob the Builder hard hat and tool belt and wade in.
Can we fix it? Yes we can!
Except, sometimes we don't yet have the right tools, and we're about to make a mess. But there are better approaches. I am reminded of a scene from The Lord of the Rings movie The Fellowship of the Ring. The company of travelers is walking through the mines of Moria and they come to a crossroads. Gandalf is puzzled as to which way to lead them. "I have no memory of this place," he says, and proceeds to sit down to wait.
Waiting is not high on my list of favorite things to do. Actually, it's not even on my list at all. But lately I have been opening my Bible at random and my eyes fall on Psalm 40:1, quoting from The Message:
I waited and waited and waited for GOD.
At last he looked; finally he listened.
Waiting seems to be a major theme in God's dealings with me as a believer. (Perhaps you can relate.) I think it's primarily a trust exercise. In this context, do I trust God enough to not immediately try to solve the problem with whatever tools I can put my grubby hands on? If I choose to wait on God, he will eventually provide a solution to the problem.
Perhaps even more importantly, my current problem I was planning for was not actually my problem to solve. It was God's problem. In fact, it didn't even concern me. I was becoming a Karen, sticking my well-intentioned nose where it didn't belong. I was just trying to be helpful, but God was warning me not to butt in.
May God give us each the discernment of when to take action, and when to sit and wait for the can opener.
Very thought provoking. I always want to attack problems head on.