hard way

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Doing Things The Hard Way Isn’t The Way To Go

You can do things the hard way, or you can find an easier way to get things done.

There are many reasons to do things the hard way. They say it builds character. They say if you do things the hard way you learn to do it the right way.

There is some merit to these answers, but sometimes the hard way is just a deterrent to do the thing at all.

In my life I’ve found that doing things the hard way also means doing things without the proper resources or know-how. 

For most of my life, when I needed to make or repair something, I looked at the tools I had available and tried to figure it out on my own from there.

Most of the time I got the job done, but it definitely involved doing things the hard way.

Not having the right equipment or know-how never stopped me from starting projects, but it did keep me from completing them.

A long time ago we wanted to finish our basement at home. My plan was to frame some rooms.

But when I got to a part that I was not sure how to complete, or what tools would allow me to do it, I put it off … and off.

Finally Lily found a handyman and asked him to finish off the parts of the basement that I had left.  

That was years ago. Now I’ve figured out that having the right tools and the right know-how make things easier.

You don’t have to do everything the hard way.

The other day Lil wanted a couple of shelves added to a wall cabinet. I was unsure of my know-how and whether I had the right tools for the job, so I turned to the great wisdom of the internet. 

I had an idea of the kind of shelves I wanted – the kind where you put little pegs in the wall or the cabinet and then place the shelf on top of them. They are neat and in the end there’s no visible hardware. 

On YouTube I found a guy who demonstrated how to get the four holes in perfect alignment for the pegs. He used a peg board as a guide. 

At the hardware store, the service guy thought it was genius. He also suggested I get the store to cut my shelves for me on their table saw. 

The amazing thing was I never had to cut a piece of wood myself, and I never had to use a measuring tape for the holes. I simply picked which holes I wanted to use on my peg board, and set and marked a depth line on my drill. 

I did it the easy way. It took no time to build those shelves. I never forced anything or had to make do. I used the right tool for the job and only paid fifty cents a cut for the tool I didn’t have. 

The shelves? – Perfection!

Here’s the thing: Unless you are reading God’s word, you won’t know much of what God wants you to do, and unless you are seeking His help, you don’t have the right tools to accomplish what He wants you to do. You can do things the hard way, or you can get into your Bible so you understand God’s methods. Then ask God to give you the right tools to accomplish His will. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What are you trying to do the hard way right now? Leave your comments below.

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How To Fix Things The Hard Way

I needed to be born wealthy. It’s not because I have expensive tastes; it’s because I lack the skills to fix things.

maxresdefaultI’m not great at working with my hands; it doesn’t come that easily to me.

If I was wealthy I wouldn’t have to fix things, or make things, or put things together. I could hire someone to do all that!

I’m not saying that wealthy people never fix things themselves. Some are handy, so they use their money in other ways. I would use money to hire out jobs around the house.

Reality for me, however, is I have had to learn to do things that I’m not particularly adept at.

Like this week when we had three taps that all leaked. There were two in the laundry room and one up in the ceiling of our family room that led to an outside faucet.

I sized up the work involved, took pictures and set off for the hardware store. The guy at the store looked at my pictures, listened to my explanation and then handed me a small package of washers.

He said there was a small washer at the end of these taps, and all I had to do was just remove the tap, use a screwdriver to remove the washer, replace it and put it back together.

I was encouraged. It sounded like a 15 minute job – half hour at best. Easy.

Well, it would have been easy for a handy guy … not so easy for me.

I won’t go into all the details but I had a lot of trouble loosening the screws. They were like frozen on. I guess over the years, having had water on it every day, it got stuck in place.

Well, let’s just say 5 jabs to my finger later – 3 with a screwdriver and 2 with an utility knife – I was no closer to fixing those taps.

I went to the same hardware store twice, and then didn’t think I could show my face there again.  I ended up going to two more hardware stores … not all in one trip. There were four separate trips to hardware stores!

At one point, I just sat down in the family room and watched TV. There wasn’t anything on. It was the middle of the afternoon but I needed something to take my mind off the fifteen minute job I couldn’t complete.

As I sat on the couch, I thought, “If I was wealthy, I’d have a guy in here right now. I’d be able to chat with him while he completed the task.” … But that’s not my lot in life.

I didn’t change the washers out on all the taps and they still leaked a bit. That’s when I looked at my bank account and decided I was richer than I thought.

So I purchased three new taps (they come with washers already in place) for 300% of the cost of the washers. It took me about 20 minutes to get them installed and the leaks were gone.

Why didn’t I just do that in the first place?!

Here’s the thing: Not being handy is a lot like us having to deal with temptation. We are not that good at it. It’s difficult work and we don’t do well much of the time. We get hurt or hurt others in the process. As difficult as it is to keep from sinning, there is coming a day when the riches of heaven will make temptation a thing of the past. Keep doing the hard work in the mean time.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What makes temptation hard work for you? Leave your comment below.