Brick Walls

I remember in the 8^th grade when I was in Mr. Dekker’s Algebra Class, there for a couple weeks I was breezing through the assignments and acing all the tests.  All of a sudden I hit a section that I struggled with; I wasn’t really understanding it and was frustrated that I got a “C” on my test.  Mr. Dekker recognized what was going on and he said, “That C is the best thing to happen to you.”  You can imagine my thoughts and the corresponding look that man received.

Mr. Dekker smiled and explained that it was all coming too easy to me and in order to really learn something, we need to work at it.  By hitting that brick wall, I would work to get through it.  I would learn more about my brick wall than if I just breezed through it.  I had to study my wall to learn my wall.  At the time I understood what he said but I really didn’t understand what he meant.

This last week I have hit the proverbial brick wall throughout various areas of my life.  One was making my “Shake the Funk” playlist with music I didn’t yet own.  I was having issues getting the music to my Walkman.  I couldn’t seem to purchase the music using my computer.  However it was a breeze to buy it on my Kindle. 

I found a way to get the music.  Well…I kept having issues with this or that.  I “decided” not to get frustrated and was determined to figure out how to do it.  (I was desperate for this playlist)  

I am a hands on person and have to “DO” things in order to really grasp how to get the “Doing” to be second nature to me.  You know, to really understand what I am doing.

Long story short, I discovered what to do when the music I would purchase would get stuck in the cloud.  I figured out where to look on my Kindle to retrieve it from the cloud to download to the Kindle.  So I am able to save the music from the Kindle to my computer and organize it for my Windows Media Player and my Walkman.  Now gathering my music is second nature for me…no longer a wall.

As I was gathering this music as if I knew what I was doing, Mr. Dekker and his lesson popped into my head.   I needed to struggle to get my music…to really learn and understand how to use my devices. 

I have failed a lot of tests this week.  I am not proud of it however I am not going to beat myself up about it either.  Some of my brick walls have been conquered and others are still waiting for me to go through them.

A friend told me yesterday that she is going through some things also and how the Holy Spirit needed her to go through them to learn how to deal with those situations.  How she wouldn’t have really learnt that if someone would have told her or if she read a book. 

Both my friend and I have had a rough week, totally different circumstances but we were both physically and emotionally drained from our week.  My friend telling me about the lesson the Holy Spirit was teaching her was what I needed to take a breath, and lay the junk and my frustrations at God’s feet.  Ok God, you want my burdens here ya go. 

Life is not always a breeze that I prefer it to be.  However without the challenges of my brick walls, I would never learn anything or grow.  My deepest desires are to grow in God, to be the woman He desires me to be.  Without my brick walls, I won’t learn my walls and how to go through them. 

God thank You for my week of brick walls.  Next time I will get through more of them with Your help.

That right there was why “I” failed to get through my walls.  I didn’t stop and ask God for help.  I tried doing it on my own, thinking that I could do it.

How many of us allow our flesh man to take on the world on his own?  We have God right there; He doesn’t leave us, why do we not just ask for a little help?  Is it our independent nature or our egos?  Is it that we don’t think He cares about the little things that annoy and frustrate us?  WHAT I ask you?!?

He tells us in His word, “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”  Deut 31:6 (NKJV)

So next time you hit your proverbial brick wall, I pray you learn from my experience with my walls.  God is right there, ask Him for help and guidance.  He will help you learn your walls so you can not only get through them, but you will grow until they are no longer walls in your life.

Until Next Time, God Bless!