Over the past several weeks, I have been working on a project in Niceville, FL. Originally, the plan was to fly down there and complete the project in about four days. With budget cuts, I was required to complete the project remotely. Concerning me at first, I quickly realized that this should not be much of a setback. I put a considerable amount of planning into the project, figuring out how I could accomplish all of the tasks from several hundred miles away. When the scheduled week came, things were all set, and I jumped into the project. A couple of days into the project, things were going swimmingly well and I was checking tasks off the list as planned. On the last day of the project, I had one more critical task to complete. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. I had to scramble to overcome each roadblock. Even though I had sent many things down to them ahead of time, I was finding that with the change in strategy, I didn’t have the tools that I needed. Guys had to bring things in from home. I had to ship more things down there. I had guys in the office doing all sorts of things for me and trying everything I could think of. As days turned into weeks, additional tasks kept piling onto the project, making it appear that our initial estimate of a week was wrong. With each task added, more problems arose. At times, it became quite frustrating and stressful. At least a few times, I said, “You know, if one more thing goes wrong, I’m buying a plane ticket and going down there.” You see, after that much frustration, the cost of the trip would be worth it to me because I would be able to get my hands on the situation and just take care of everything in a day or two, as I had originally planned.
Friday night, I was working feverishly to get one last thing complete so that I could call the project a wrap. I had a piece of hardware that needed to be installed. I setup a conference call with the vendor in Massachusetts and a helper in Florida. She connected up a laptop to the equipment, the vendor was controlling the laptop, and I was viewing the screen. Once again, we were running into some trouble, and the ladies down there didn’t always understand exactly what it was we were asking of them. At one point, the office manager said to me, “Joel, why don’t you just come on down here? It’s really nice here. We’re just five minutes from some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. We’ll treat you well. You can come in and just fix everything out and also have a great time.” She went on extolling the wonders of Niceville, FL. This is when I explained that she didn’t have to talk me into it. I wanted to come, but just couldn’t. In fact, I’d pay for the trip to alleviate all the stress and frustration of the past few weeks.
Today, I think it’s God in the position of saying, “Come on down.” He wants us to come into the center of His Will, be filled with His Spirit, and do His Work. How often do we instead try to work from a distance? Do we try to work without the right tools? Do we think to ourselves that if we just scramble around, we can pull off a Macgyver and kludge something together enough to get the job done? You know, if we’d just go down there and be in God’s presence, receive the tools and strength that we need, and see clearly what it is that God has planned for us, it would work out a whole lot better.
Mat 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Joh 6:35-40 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. (36) But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. (37) All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (38) For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. (39) And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. (40) And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 15:1-8 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. (2) Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. (3) Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. (4) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. (5) I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (6) If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. (7) If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. (8) Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
