My husband bought me an awesome camera for Christmas. I love it! It does amazing stuff…..I think :/ I’ve taken a few pictures with it, but I confess it’s a little confusing.
So, I took a few minutes to sit down and actually check out the instructions (duh?). Easier said than done. The print is so small, or maybe it was bad lighting….or my eyes are getting old. Either way, I got frustrated and decided I’d have to just figure it out as I go along.
Funny thing about that way of thinking. Making the decision to figure things out as they come sort of obligates us to accept the easy along with the difficult; the trials AND the triumphs.
In a sense, it’s kind of like becoming a Christian. We have this brand new and wonderful thing in front of us. We know it will bless us and change our lives…maybe even change the lives of others…but the “user’s manual” definitely takes some studying to understand all that it’s capable of doing, as well as just how to use it! So, in faith, we say, ‘Ok, I’ve made this decision to follow you, Lord, to trust in you for all things and to walk in your ways. I don’t have it all figured out, but I want to 'use it anyway' (just like using my brand new camera). And when I stumble and make mistakes, maybe get things a little ‘out of focus,’ I can go back to the manual, figure out what I did wrong and make it right again.”
The blessing can only come about when we study the Word and learn all we can about the indescribable gift of knowing Jesus. If we go about it blindly, using the gift with limited knowledge and never bother exploring its full capabilities, we miss out on the true blessing…..sort of like clicking pictures in the dark without a flash.
