My wife and I had a long overdue project that needed to get done this past week. We ordered the materials and planned the day to do it. We weren’t particularly overjoyed when the workday arrived, but we were happy to at least get the project done.
Then things started going south, or so we thought at the time. We went to the material yard to pick up our materials that were supposed to have been in a few days earlier, only to discover they hadn’t arrived yet.
I filtered this disappointment through my truth filter. “Okay, Lord, you must want us to take a day off.” I was more than happy to have a day to relax, but it meant losing my work partner and having to do the project myself, bummer. Then I ran it through my filter. The Lord immediately brought a couple of good friends to mind, who said they would help. Friends sure are nice to have! The saga continued, though, when the materials didn’t come in for another two days! This now put my help in jeopardy. “Lord, what’s going on here?” The frustration was building. Small choices add up to victory. Filter on. Process. Victory.
As I went to pick up the materials when they finally arrived, I began to see the purpose behind the delay. The vehicle that Jan and I went to pick them up in would never have worked; yet my friends brought a trailer that was perfect! If Jan and I had done the work on the day we had planned, our day would have been a long, long frustrating one as neither one of us is overly skilled in construction. Yet my friends were and “we” (they did most of the real work as they wouldn’t let me near the power tools! That story will come later in the week) got the job done much better, with no frustration, and in less than 4 hours. Yes!
This perfect ending started with a challenge that turned out to be a blessing. As God’s child, my Father knew better than I did what was needed to get this “simple” job done. There was no reason my materials should have been delayed five days, but they were. You can look at this project blunder as a challenge or a blessing.
I chose, though not at the time, to see it as a wonderful blessing from my Father. Challenges are the norm for believers. We can choose to see them from our perspective as annoying and something to be avoided or from God’s perspective as blessings that draw us closer to Jesus. It’s the small choices that add up to victory.

“S”et Free Nowww