The Experts...

I’m the kind of guy who likes to fix things myself. I am a do-it-yourselfer. For the most part, I stay within the fields that I have some knowledge about. I can paint, do some light construction, and do minimal mechanical work on my vehicles. Occasionally, I get a wild hair to fix something a little out of my zone. At those times I usually hit YouTube for some advice. What I consistently find there are experts doing what they do, showing off their work. They make it look easy. If I believe what I see in these videos, I should be able to fix my plumbing in about 6 minutes, straighten a fender in 15 minutes or remodel my bathroom in 35 minutes. I understand the power of video editing is aiding these workers, but there is a deeper fact here. These experts have taken the time to develop their craft. They have found the pitfalls and potholes of the project, and know how to avoid them or deal with them. They make it look easy.

I can appreciate the fact that their skill, knowledge, and experience make the job I’m new to look easy when I watch the video. The rub for me comes when I’ve convinced myself that I could also do this same job without too much trouble, only to find out halfway in, that the pitfall and potholes they avoided are staring me right in the face. I usually go back to YouTube to find another expert video to walk me through those issues. In the end, I typically figure things out. I don’t have too many projects lying around that are undone.

I’m at a convention this week and the stage has been full of preachers and teachers who really know what they are talking about, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I wonder if this is like the YouTube experts that I look to in my DIY projects. These leaders on stage have thought through and lived through their messages that inspire me to go try something similar. They make it look easy. It’s quite possible that they are experts because of the potholes and pitfalls they have navigated through to get here. I’m sure I’ll respond and try some of these new things. I will likely trip and stumble along the way, but I wonder if that is actually part of the process. I wonder if the mistakes and blunders are there to remind us to reach out to others at those times. 

James 1:5 rings out in my head at this time, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” This passage reminds me that when I reach out to do something out of my comfort zone there may be a time when I need to ask for wisdom to understand my missteps and move in the right direction. Much like going back to YouTube to find a different expert to help me fix the sink….