Trusting the One in charge

Firehouse sidewalk

in red-orange!

The new fire station around the corner has been under construction for several months now. While the project has not moved quickly, it has moved steadily.

For several days the workmen were pouring concrete, one section at a time, on the drive where the fire trucks will zoom out. Later they poured the concrete for the sidewalk.

But they did something that seemed very odd. They left the sidewalk squares closest to the driveway unpoured. Four places the sidewalk touches the driveway, and those squares remained empty after the cement truck had driven away.

To the casual observer (me) it made no sense. At that point I had to decide whether to dither and criticze, or to trust that the cement crews knew exactly what they were doing. Having better things to think about, I decided to trust and not dither, and see what would happen.

The next day as I went past, the truck and crew were on the job, pouring in those last squares of sidewalk. My confidence in their understanding of the whole job was not misplaced. The squares touching the driveway were contrasting red-orange and textured. The color and surface would alert pedestrians that this was a fire station, and they might have to quickly move out of the way.

This was a good lesson for me. If our lives are progressive, we often find some area under construction. Construction projects can be messy, and we may not understand why some parts are finished while other important-to-us parts remain incomplete.

I’ve found that it’s OK to trust the great Architect, who I also have found wholly caring and the source of all good and right things in the world. Because S/He sees the whole picture, the big picture, S/He knows the perfect timing for each part of our lives to fit exactly with what’s gone before so we can better love our fellow beings.

There may be steps we need to take, but not out of a sense of forcing events. If I try to push things from my perspective, it often interferes with what would have happened in an orderly way a little later.

Apparently somebody else reached this conclusion a long time ago, because he advised, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.” (Proverbs)

Beyond the mess, a Master plan

Puddles, posts, stakes --
is it a hopeless mess?

In this case, the mess is not the remains of Hurricane Ike or a clear-cut forest, or a kid’s room; it’s a carefully thought-out project.

The fire station next door is getting a new home. We’ll be sorry to lose them, as the firemen have been good neighbors. The new location just around the corner, like any construction project, has plenty of interested observers.

First heavy equipment broke into chunks and removed the blacktop lot that had served for storing village vehicles.

By this weekend the pile driver had driven many posts into the excavated area leaving them sticking up at unexplainably odd and various heights. Flagged stakes sprout among the posts. Serious puddles increase as weekend rain continues. More posts remain to be pounded Monday. A newly delivered green porta-potty sits adjacent to a hill of excavated gravel.

In short, it’s a mess.

And this is where the planning comes in. An artist’s rendering fastened to the chain-link fence shows how the new fire station will look – more than double the space of their present quarters.

The vision that will
eventually replace the mess!

It’s important during the mud-and puddle-phase to keep the artist’s drawing in mind. Otherwise one might forget how to get from mess to beauty and utility. The foreman keeps the vision foremost in thought as each step is undertaken. He or she continually checks the blueprints to make sure the details are exactly as planned.

Anybody who’s remodeled, or painted their walls, or installed new flooring or carpets can appreciate the planned disorder that leads eventually to beauty and progress.

But what if the disorder in our lives isn't planned? Sometimes kids or adults go through rough times, maybe the result of poor decisions, or of ignorance.

Those feeling the brunt of Gustav or Ike, whether their address is Galveston, Houston, Cuba, or Haiti, might well feel their lives are in shambles.

It’s important to remember there is a Master plan for each of us, and what we are observing is not the end of the project. Our prayers can contribute to the steps that reveal that Master plan in each life.

The God who is infinitely intelligent Love knows what needs to happen to keep His/Her creation aligned with beauty, order, and goodness. This universal Mind ceaselessly acts as law for His/Her creation, moving each of us along to find our groove, our natural harmony with God and the universe.

So don’t give up on the mess in your life. Consult the Master plan, or find someone whose love and wisdom assures you that they understand it. Many feel Christ Jesus is one such individual.

Then make choices to move in the direction that conforms to that ideal. Be satisfied with one good step at a time. You will get there in one piece, maybe sooner than you think.

For helpful ideas about praying for those in the path of hurricanes, click here.