DIRECTIONS

Too often we just don’t take the time to read the directions!

Do you read directions?

I have been told that reading the directions is only for wimps, idiots and people who don’t have a clue what they are doing. I have been told that “real men don’t need directions!” Unfortunately, my stubborn husband believes these outrageous claims!

For a few months now the sink in our bathroom has been dripping. It started out slow, almost unnoticeable, but steadily progressed to a constant drip. Of course, over the last couple of weeks I have asked my husband to fix it, but he hasn’t “found the time”. It wasn’t until I went to Lowes and called him to ask what I needed to buy to fix the “stupid faucet” that he decided it was time to take charge. He told me it would be much easier for him to pick up the needed supplies than to tell me what to buy (which of course I agreed with, but I needed to make a point!) and promised he would handle it on his way home from work that day.
Well, he came home empty handed mumbling something about needing to take the thing apart to see what he actually needed. He proceeded to shut off the water to the sink and take the faucet apart. It seemed the problem was going to be fixed soon!
The next day he comes home with a bag from Lowes and goes straight to the bathroom. I could hear the sound of the tools clanging against the metal of the faucet. Although I sensed his frustration over being “forced” to repair something in my time, I was glad that we would soon have a leak-free sink. After about 10 minutes he came out of the bathroom and sat down on the couch next to me. I assumed the sink was fixed even though he didn’t say a word about it (I thought he was just pouting), but when I went to the bathroom a few minutes later there was water all over the counter top and a soaked towel dripping water into the sink. I couldn’t resist a few snide remarks while I turned the water on only to discover that it now was leaking at the handles as well as the constant drip that still came from the faucet!
My faucet is still not fixed and my husband will probably be furious that I decided to share this story (you know, that pride thing!). But the situation really made me think.
How much easier would this repair have been if my husband had read some directions somewhere along the way? I mean, I see all those “How To. . .” books at the hardware store. What are they there for if we (yes, even the men!) don’t need directions? How often do we try to repair, replace or assemble without reading the directions? How often do we wind up having to redo things because we didn’t do it right the first time (or second, or third …)
The same concept applies to life. All too often we try to do things on our own, our way, without reading the directions first. God gave us detailed “directions” for life, the greatest “How To” book ever; the Bible. But it is up to us to read it, to make sure we understand it, and to follow it. Too often we get stubborn and think we know what we are doing. Too often we are too prideful to realize that our way isn’t always the right way. (In fact our way usually ISN’T the right way!)


How sad it is to realize how much time we waste trying to find our way, blindly, through life when all along we had the directions right there in front of us; just waiting to be read!