Tangled Cords

"Teach me your way, LORD; lead me in a straight path.."
Psalm 27:11  

In a small utility room in our home hangs a loosely slatted divider to partition the space. Cords at the side are used to roll up the divider when we want to get at the broom, mop or other pieces of cleaning equipment. It is a functional arrangement that usually works quite well.

But those cords cause frustration. If not carefully held separate while being pulled, they quickly tangle into infuriating snarls that take long minutes to unscramble. How could one simple operation cause so much aggravation? The cords seem to take on a life of their own, determined to try my patience. Just when I think I have found the one end that, when pulled through a knot, will solve the problem, the end seems to disappear into a puzzling mesh and I have several more twisted knots to contend with.

Life is all too similar to these tangled cords. Unexpected circumstances—seemingly simple—cause frustration that wears on our patience. Just when we think the solution is near, another tangle appears. Sometimes we are at fault. We have not taken sufficient time to organize the calendar and appointments heap upon one another. Or we allowed ourselves—or family members—to tolerate small messes that soon become mountainous piles of disorder. Other times the unexpected simply rushes in through no fault of our own and we are overwhelmed.

It takes time and patience to sort through the calendar, tackle small jobs before they become huge obstacles or simply learn to expect the unexpected. Whatever the cause, we have a Heavenly Father who never becomes frustrated with our poor attempts and stands ready to show us straight ways.