Early last spring we bought a play set to put together for our grandchildren. One of the first and most important steps was to carefully divide all the many pieces of wood into groups based on their stamped labels. Then we separated all the hundreds of screws and nuts and bolts and hooks.
Gary and two young men we know then began to assemble the play set. They carefully followed the printed instructions page by page. My job was to lay out all the screws and other hardware as well as the boards to be used in each step.
As we worked together, we quickly learned that only the particular pieces listed in the instruction manual would work for each step of the building process. No substitutions would fit.
The finished product was a beautiful play set that our grandson has greatly enjoyed. But it’s beautiful only because every part and piece was placed exactly where it belonged.
There were times as we were building that we questioned the placement of a section, but we had to trust the instructions and keep on going.
Isn’t this just like our life sometimes? Even as we follow Christ, we wonder at the way He leads. We question what He has allowed in our lives.
But we also have an instruction manual to follow. God told us clearly in His Word a very important truth.
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God…” (Romans 8:28)
We don’t need to understand all that is happening to us. The placement of the parts and pieces of our trials are usually impossible to understand.
Our responsibility is to love and follow our Savior, trusting that He is putting every part and piece of our lives into an order that will produce a beautiful work…one that will make us more like Him and bring Him glory as we trust His building process.
I love the verses of this very old hymn. I pray it means a lot to each of you as well.
If thou but trust in God to guide thee,
And hope in Him through all thy ways,
He’ll give thee strength,
Whate’er betide thee,
To bear thee through the evil days;
Who trusts in God’s unchanging love
Builds on the rock that naught can move.
Only be still, and wait His leisure
In cheerful hope, with heart content
To take whate’er thy Father’s pleasure
And all discerning love hath sent;
Nor doubt our inmost wants are known
To Him Who chose us for His own.
Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving;
So do thine own part faithfully;
And trust His Word, though underserving,
Thou yet shalt find it true for thee;
God never yet forsook at need,
The soul that trusted Him indeed.
(If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Thee, Georg Neumark, 1641)
He Said What?! 
Great post and beautiful hymn lyrics. It is sometimes more impactful to read words we have never sung.
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I agree about reading hymns. I’ve never sung this one either but the lyrics really touched me when I found it months ago. Thanks for reading, Pete.
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Nice playset! Your comparison of following instructions assembling it to God’s instruction manual for us was a wonderfully simple way of thinking about it. Thank you, Patty! 🙂
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Thank you for reading, Nancy. Blessings!
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How insightful, Patty–an important life lesson from a play set! You are so right: “We don’t need to understand all that is happening to us. The placement of the parts and pieces of our trials are usually impossible to understand.” I’ve wasted much time stewing over the “why” questions of some events. I wish I’d come across this quote much earlier in life than a few years ago: “It may support your heart to consider that in these troubles God is performing that work in which your soul would rejoice–if you did see the design of it” (John Flavel, Keeping the Heart). One day we WILL see the design and no doubt rejoice with enthusiastic praise for what God has done with the pain and suffering his children have endured!
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I love that quote, Nancy. It reminds me of the old poem about the tapestry, how the back side is such a mess but the front side is beautiful. God’s finished work is always a thing of beauty.
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We sing the hymns but I never thought about reading them, great idea Patty! Wow a swing set for the grandkids, what fun grandparents you are. We had one for my daughter when we moved here years ago and it was such a pain cutting the grass around and under it, so we went and bought long chains, a swing seat and plastic tire. Took care of the grass problem. 🤣
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Brilliant idea with the swing seat and plastic tire! I’m sure it’s provided so much fun.
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Patty, I love the correlation you described in both words and photos. They’re an evocative reminder to trust the Lord when we don’t understand.
My eyes were immediately drawn to the final photo due to the utility pole in the background. It makes the upper fort look like a chapel with a cross on the peak–beautiful!
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I didn’t even notice that about the utility pole. Thank you for pointing that out and for reading, Manette. God bless!
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A wonderful reminder, Patty! Lovely post!
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Thank you so much, Gail!
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Thankful for His instructional manual and that He’s the Master Builder.
What a blessing to have your daughter and her family so close that you can enjoy each other all the more! I hope the play set gets a lot of use, what a joy for you all…the ones using it and those watching!!❤️
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It’s been the biggest blessing having them here with us. So much joy on so many levels! We’re very thankful!
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