Brett and I stood in the chilly fall air staring at the 6×8 plastic fold up green house lying between us.  We had both seen the 2×2 plastic bag it was supposed to fold up into, but it looked impossible.  I held the instructions and read the first one out loud to Brett.  “Take the corner and fold it diagonally to the other corner.”  It sounded so easy, but Brett questioned which corner to which corner as it was in the shape of a pentagon.     So I dutifully read the instructions out loud again, this time more slowly, “Take the corner and fold it diagonally to the other corner.”   Finally after much discussion he picked a corner and folded it to an opposite corner.

Great!  Step one was completed.  Now, on to step two.  I slowly continued to read the instructions.  “Fold the top corner back under itself.”  Brett assured me that couldn’t be done, it would break.  I annoyingly read the instructions out loud again.  Brett assured me again that if he folded it back under itself it would break.  I’ll have to admit, it sure didn’t look like it could fold back under it self, but then again it did vaguely show it being done in the picture that accompanied the instructions.

I’m going to assume that being a female, I have followed more instructions in my life than my husband Brett.  Since instructions generally work when I follow them, experience has conditioned me to follow the instructions even if they aren’t making sense.  So, I handed him the instructions, took the corner and folded it under itself.  Once it had been folded under it just naturally started to fold over on itself and next thing you know it was in a 2×2 shape and we stuffed it into the plastic bag.

Brett likes to say, “You only need to know the next step to take.”  An illustration for his quote popped into my head a couple of days ago.  Unfortunately for Brett this idea popped into my head about 5am while we were staying in a hotel.  Since I didn’t want to forget it and I was too lazy to crawl out of bed and sit on the hard bathroom floor so as not to disturb Brett with my tapping on the computer, I grabbed the computer and crawled back into bed.

Imagine a man climbing a narrow mountain path in pitch darkness.  He spots a pin point of light in the distance and when he arrives at the source of the light he discovers a lamp-post.  After spending so long in the dark, he doesn’t want to leave the lamp-post.  But, after several days he has consumed nearly all his food and water and must continue his journey.  He audibly says, “I sure wish I could take this lamp-post with me.”  To his surprise the lamp-post replies, “I can go with you and show you the way.”  The man and the lamp-post continue the journey up the mountain to the next village.  Just when the path becomes especially narrow the lamp-post dims it’s light.  The man stops in his tracks and exclaims, “Why did you do that?  I can’t see anymore!”  The lamp-post replied, “Look down.  How far can you see?”  “I can only see the next step,” the man replied.  “Then take the next step forward, for that is all you need to see, one step at a time.”

God created a plan for my life.  Too many times I have my own master plan and don’t bother following the plan God has for me.  My master plan has a great beginning and an even better ending.  It is harder to follow God’s plan because He wants me to have enough faith in Him to follow Him one step at a time.  The more often I follow Him one step at a time the easier it is to hear His voice and follow the plan He has for me.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Jeremiah 29:11

Brett dressed in baggy pants, a T-shirt,  brightly colored yellow and orange oversized fluorescent plastic glasses, and a backpack.   The air tingled with excitement and tension.  I pulled up to the bank in a van and watched Brett walked through the glass double doors of the bank we had chosen to rob.  I waited with Aspen in our get-away van.  Keeping my eyes glued to the front doors and my ears on high alert for the sound of the robbery alarm I tapped my fingers nervously on the steering wheel.  But, when Brett walked out the glass double doors, all appeared peaceful and the air silent of alarms and police sirens.  Brett casually walked over to the van with the backpack full of money and we drove home.

A few days later Brett donned his bank robbing costume again.   Aspen and I copied his look of  baggy pants, t-shirts,  brightly colored yellow and orange oversized fluorescent plastic glasses, and back packs.  We drove the same van back to the same bank.  This time I parked and the three of us walked through the glass double doors.  We scanned the hall for an elevator to take up to the floor with the bank on it.  Trying to walk quickly and nonchalantly at the same time we hurried past several elevators.  The bank had increased security and hired guards to stand outside the elevator doors.  Nearing the end of the hallway and feeling slightly desperate we found an elevator with no security guard and rode it up to the next floor.  We casually robbed the bank, walked out, and drove home with our backpacks full of money.

Two days passed and we decided to rob the same bank again.  We dressed in our same baggy pants, t-shirts, brightly colored yellow and orange oversized fluorescent plastic glasses, and back packs.  We drove the same van to the same bank, walked in the same glass double doors and looked for an elevator.  Brett and I decided to separate so we would be less noticeable and he took the closest elevator up to the next floor.  But, Aspen and I were unable to find an elevator.  We raced up and down the halls looking for the shiny doors indicating an elevator, but it was as if all the elevators had vanished.

Desperate and out of breath an elevator materialized in front of us and when the shiny doors opened we rode it up to the 3rd floor.  Danger hung in the air around me as Aspen and I stepped off the elevator to find Brett and complete another bank robbery.  I tried to casually walk up and down the narrow halls lined with bank worker desks.  But, I was afraid we would be discovered because we wore the same recognizable disguises.  Fear got the best of me,  I grabbed Aspens hand and began to run in my search for Brett.  I raced up and down the bank halls passing the bank workers sitting at their desks and tapping away at their computers.  Fear advanced to panic  when I couldn’t find Brett.  Running blindly up and down the halls the dreaded bank alarm filled my ears and jarred my brain.  I ran out a side door exit with Aspen in tow.  We raced down the street hoping to evade capture.

While running down the street it crossed my mind that if I were caught I would go to jail for many years and Aspen would go to foster care and be grown up before I got out.  I desperately didn’t want that to happen, and I quickly rationalized that I hadn’t robbed the bank.  I felt better for just a moment until I realized that I may not have robbed the bank that day, but I had helped to rob the bank just two days before and driven the get away vehicle for Brett just a few days before that.

Running down the street with the possibility of facing the consequences of my actions mental clarity finally broke through my clouded brain.  Why do we continue to do the same stupid things over and over and over without thought of the consequences until too late?

Then I woke up.

I am reminded of the story of the Israelites who consistently doubted God’s faithfulness.    God was always faithful, but the Israelites continued to stupidly put their faith in false gods who could do nothing for them.  In the meantime, God continued to be faithful and accept their repentance every time their stupid actions caught up with them.  God is as faithful today as He has been throughout history.  It is time to put aside our false gods and be as faithful to our true God as He is faithful to us.  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  1John 1:9

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.”  Lamentations 3:22-24

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Hebrews 19:22-24

While I blended Brett’s and my breakfast smoothies,  Aspen requested pancakes for breakfast.  I repeated a phrase I tend to over use, “Just a minute Aspen”.  Not wanting to wait a minute, or five or ten, Aspen decided to make the pancakes on her own.  She found the measuring cup and I showed her how full to fill it.  Then she went to the refrigerator and took out the eggs.  Carefully choosing the shiniest egg she ran to the living room and stood in front of daddy.  “Daddy, daddy, come watch me crack the egg into the pancake mix.”  Daddy wasn’t quite so eager to interrupt his reading of the morning news, but Aspen continued to insist that he must come watch her crack the egg into the mix.

Brett, realizing resistance was futile, set aside the news and followed Aspen into the kitchen to watch her crack the shiniest egg into the pancake mix.  Finished showing off her skills to Daddy, she allowed him to retire to the living room couch and finish his morning routine of reading the news.  Next she asked me to show her how much water to pour into the mix.  Then she picked up a fork and stirred until all the flour was mixed with the egg and water.  I put a pan on the stove for her and pulled a spatula out of the drawer.  She stirred the oil around to cover the bottom of the pan and poured two pancakes into the pan.  She hopped down off her stepping stool and ran into the living room to play, directing me to tell her when the pancakes needed to be turned.  I dutifully checked the pancakes and told her when they needed to be turned, most of the times she came running immediately, but a couple of times she dallied with her play and the pancakes turned a darker shade of brown.

I was reminded of my daily relationship and communication with God.  Aspen trusted me to tell her when the pancakes needed to be turned.  I trust God to let me know when and how I should act.  But, any number of times during the day, I am just like Aspen and instead of doing what I know to be right, I dally to do it.  I usually have a really good reason.  After all, do I really have to be nice to everyone?!  All the time?!  Sometimes I’m just selfish and want my own way.  Why shouldn’t I have my own way I reason, at least just a few more minutes of my own way.  And so it goes and I dilly dally in my own ways until I burn the proverbial pancakes.  Ugh.  Now that I messed up my life I don’t want to eat it.  Unfortunately the consequences of my actions are harder to fix than throwing away the burnt pancakes.

I delight to do Thy will, O My God; yea, Thy law is within My heart.  Psalms 40:8

When the truth of God is in my heart I delight to do His will.  My thoughts will be His thoughts, my actions His.  I won’t just believe His truth, I will live it.