The Peak of Inspiration

I’m a carpenter.  I’m also very independent.  I don’t mind working alone.  Sometimes I agree to projects that really need a congregational workday to do properly.  When I get involved with something of this sort, something that is a lot bigger than me, there is always a lesson to be learned.

Quite a few years ago, one of my friends came into possession of an old barn.  Big ol’ gambrel roof, weathered siding, hayloft…  What is it about those structures that stir us?  Anyway, this particular barn needed a little love.  Especially the roof.   The cedar shakes had been leaving on a regular basis.  I agreed to install a new metal roof.

I have a clear memory of the day I started the project.  I stood there looking up at the ridge 30 or so feet above me, at the steep pitches, at the pile of metal roofing laying on the ground, and the reality of what I had agreed to do overwhelmed me.  It wasn’t that I didn’t understand what needed to be done.  The work itself was fairly straight forward.  Screw the metal panels to the roof.  But the fact that I would need to, by myself, handle every sheet, carry it up the ladder, hold it in place while putting in a screw, and somehow do this many times over without making my wife a widow, made me a little anxious.  I was way outside my comfort zone.  I knew what the end result needed to be, what it should look like.  But the process at that moment looked impossible.  I paced back and forth a few times, and prayed.  “Lord, you have the answers to this.  Show me the steps I need to take to complete this job.”  And you know what?  It came to me.  I was able to envision each step, where I would put the ladder, how I could reach each section, the steps to follow to fulfill my commitment.  And it worked just like that.  The job got done. 

We have things we want accomplished.  Jobs that must be done.  Dreams that we hope to make a reality.  We want a happy family, a successful business, a fulfilling friendship.  And we would prefer to have it now, without the sweat, scrapes, and exhaustion.  We can imagine the end result, children well behaved and well liked.  Customers that highly recommend us.  Friends that love our company.  We look at where we are now, on the ground with a pile of work at our feet.  We see where we want to be, at the top with the work behind us.  And it’s easy to despair.  To walk away from the task.  To stay off the ladder and out of the hot sun.

Sometimes mountains come to us, and many times we go to them.  They are always bigger than us, otherwise they wouldn’t be mountains.  They need to be climbed.  They stand between us and tomorrow.  Here’s the key.  Sigh a prayer, and then take a step.  Have the visit.  Make the call.  Get out the tools.  Do the first thing.  

God has this plan, a method of helping us get to where we need to be.   Notice how mountains are shaped.  They have sloped sides, perfect for taking steps.  God knows we will enjoy the view from the top, but in his wisdom also understands that the journey has infinite value.  Give it to us all at once, and we will fail.  Take it a step at a time, and we can make it. 

Keep your eyes on the summit.  There’s a spot up there where you can rest, sit down and take in the view.  But there are some steps between you and it.  Take the one in front of you.