scrap

Don't Focus on the Scraps

Suppose I hold a 4-inch by 4-inch dark blue square of a rug in front of you and ask, "What color do you think my rug is?"

You might take a look at what I am holding and say, "Why, it's dark blue, of course." I glance down at the square, and reply, "Well, yes. And no. You see, this is an oriental rug, and this square is from the middle. Along the edges of the rug are some of the most beautiful designs I've ever seen in an oriental rug. There are various shades of red and blue, with a little bit of black mixed in for contrast. So I ask you again, 'What color do you think my rug is?"

Your answer now would be different, because now you understand that there is much more to the rug than is represented in the small scrap.

What about that tough time you are going through right now? A lady in the church I pastor has recently had the latest setback in a long line of problems. Her mother had a stroke. Her dad developed an inoperable aneurysm near his heart. She took early retirement to help her parents, then discovered she needed painful foot surgery. Months later, she developed serious back problems, which resulted in a spinal fusion a few days ago. In the process of surgery, a nerve was damaged, so one week later the surgeons had to go back in (through the abdomen) and make the repairs. Her spirit has stayed strong and buoyant through most of these trials--until this last one. Anyone who knows her has to ask "what's next?"

Your situation might not be as bad as hers, but you still have had to ask yourself, "what's next?" Problems at the church or ministry may have made things worse at home, and you feel as though you have no one to talk to. Perhaps you even have physical problems. You spend time in prayer, but you know deep inside that it may not be as simple as an extended time in prayer. The sky is dark, and you wonder if it isn't time to move on.

Sometimes it is easy to get discouraged when we look at the small scrap of life we call "now." Just keep in mind that the small piece of the present is not the whole thing. The colors you see in that little piece of life do not reveal all the splendor that God is preparing for you. There is much more to your life than is represented in these small moments of time.

Yes, life is tough. But God is good. Don't focus on the scraps when God wants to give you the entire rug. It has a design such as you've never seen.

--Rocky Henriques, www.timothyreport.com

P.S. You might even get a small scrap of carpet and keep it on your desk as a reminder.