Mr. Fixit

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”declares the Lord.  “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

Have you ever been in a difficult situation where you don’t want to be the one responsible for making the decision?  Somehow throughout my life when the hard discussions need to take place or the difficult decisions are required all eyes turn toward me.  

I didn’t really realize what was happening until I was in college.  It started when everywhere I went people assumed I worked there.  Random people would come up asking me where to find x, y or z.  It got so strange that one time I was in the college library with a friend and we were near the reference desk (not behind it).  I told her, “Just wait, it’ll happen.”  And it did.  I had multiple people pass over my friend and turn to me asking for assistance.  If I ignored their questioning looks, I would then get a throat clearing or, “excuse me!”  It got so odd that I usually just tried to answer their question as best I could.  And when I started working in my career, even as one of the youngest members of a team, I found myself being the “source” for solutions.

I remember telling my husband one time after a long day that I didn’t want to make any more decisions for a week.  I was exhausted from solving everyone else’s problems!  But of course, along came my children.  

Our children look to us to answer every question, solve every problem.  Even as teenagers, when they act like we are the most inane people alive, they still seem to rely on us for getting them out of trouble.  Don’t we all though, want someone to be able to turn to for solutions to life’s messes?  So many of us work hard at trying, like a toddler, to “do it ourselves!”  But in reality, off-loading those burdens would be a welcome relief!

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Today I praise God for having solutions that I can never imagine on my own.  And I thank Him for almost begging me to place my burdens at His feet so He can show me a better way to live.  We don’t have to “go it alone” or fix it all ourselves.  When we trust in Him and are patient (ugh!) He will show us something new. 

I had a conversation with someone about a month ago about creative solutions.  I told him he needed to seek counseling – if not directly from God then from a trained human counselor.  He was struggling to find solutions for his struggling marriage.  But he said, “I know what needs to be fixed but she doesn’t want to listen.”  My response? We can only know the solutions our flesh-led brains have devised.  Someone outside us, like God, can see things from a bigger perspective.  A path we may never have dreamed of could be waiting for us, if we just ask.  If we just lay it at His feet.

Praise God that He is the one I now turn to for advice, problem solving, and Mr. Fixit.  It truly is exciting to see how His solutions are magnificently incalculable.

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