“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12 (NIV)
One of Mia’s favorite things to do is build Lego sets. She has had three surgeries over the last two years that required extensive recoveries with very limited physical activity. For an active little girl, that period of time can be tough. So, building Lego’s became a huge sense of joy. Even after her recoveries, she continued to build Lego’s. She received a few sets for Christmas this past Friday and started on them immediately. On Saturday, she started to become frustrated at one set in particular as it was missing first one piece, then two pieces, then six pieces. After substituting out of her “extra pieces” box she has collected over time, she continued. When she finished the windows section, she found that they were flimsy and kept coming undone and became frustrated again. Under my direction, she took a break and went to her cousin’s house who soon came back with her to help. Together, they worked on the windows section again, fixed it and continued again. Soon after, they informed me that more pieces were missing. By this point, Mia was extremely frustrated. I told her that she needed to walk away from it for a little while and come back later with a clear head and fresh perspective. She did NOT want to do that. She’s a bit strong-headed and competitive (a known Robertson family trait!), and she was NOT going to let those Lego’s get the best of her. She was determined to win! When I saw her attitude, I instructed her that she had to walk away. I was giving her no choice in the matter. She and her cousin went outside for a while and jumped on the trampoline and rode their bikes. They came inside about an hour later, continued building and by that night had finished an entire section. They could not wait to show me their accomplishment!
Isn’t that the way life is? Sometimes, when we are faced with an obstacle that we are trying to control all by ourselves, we may need to take a break to clear our head or ask for help. And if our attitude is not what it should be, we may need someone close to us to give us a little kick-in-the-pants to strongly encourage us to get back on track.
Jase has said many times, “It’s not just about the destination. It’s also about the journey.” He means that while we definitely want to go to heaven, we can also have a wonderful time here on earth. God has given us life, a life that we can totally enjoy. John 10:10 says, “… I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
The next time you choose to take on a project or decide it’s time to push through an obstacle, imagine that crown or sense of accomplishment on the other side. Go for it! However, remember that you may not be able to do it alone. Realize you may need to take a break if it starts to change your attitude or priorities. And don’t be afraid to ask for help. All of these things will help you enjoy not only the finished product but the path it took to get you there.
The more you enjoy the process, the more that crown (or Lego town) will mean to you!
Have a productive week!
Comments
Linda:
So hard to just step back sometimes and enjoy the ride. Just finished Blessed Blessed…Blessed and The Women of Duck Dynasty. Received both for Christmas and I don’t even like to read! Couldn’t put them down. Visited W. Monroe in Oct. and Whites Ferry Rd. You are an inspiration!
Dec 28, 2015
Maggie Shields:
Thank you, Mia and Missy for this important lesson! I too am a Lego enthusiast but also a professor at Charleston Southern University! I often use Legos for myself and my students as a way to sit and refocus while still being productive. I have been and have had students be extremely frustrated, but, as my office will show you, we have had a lot of successes too. I continually look back to Ecclesiastes 3 and remind myself that there is a “time to tear down and a time to build.” Good luck with future buildings! The City collection is my favorite!
Dec 28, 2015
Belinda :
Reading this was something that was like music to my ears. God came so that I may have life abundantly! I like “It’s not about the destination, it is also about the journey”, that is so true! Thank you. I live down in Australia and I have a daughter who is 7 – she has a love of lego sets too! Gorgeous!
Dec 28, 2015
George Schmidt:
I am an amateur clock enthusiast, and sometime the frustration will set in. Just recently I am working on a mantel clock from the 1880s and I thought that this one was going to break me. But after many breaks to clear my head I did just accomplish one of the hardest restoration if ever done. Believe in him and you will believe in yourself.
Dec 28, 2015
Lori Hyder :
Thank you Missy, I needed to read those words today. I am in the caregiving position of my mom with very few breaks and every once in awhile I just need to have a little encouragement! ♡ ♡ ♡
Dec 28, 2015
Karen Johnsob:
That is so true !
I feel that in our life that we live we sometimes go thur challenges good or bad & that we learn from our Experiences.
Ha-Ha !!! Hav’nt we all been there trying to get things put together & get frustrated because we can’t get it right .
Yes the great advice is to walk away & calm down & go back later.
Missy, I just finished your book Blessed, Blessed Blessed. It was great !!!
I have enjoyed reading all of the Robertson books that are out.
" God Bless to you all " ?
Karen ?
Dec 28, 2015
Judy:
Thank you for posting this. We all need to remember to take a step back and just enjoy our journey .
Dec 28, 2015
Terri:
Thanks for this post, Missy….My youngest son has Aspergers, and often gets frustrated when something isn’t going his way, and he’ll start saying how dumb he is, or he’ll get angry because “he’s different”, and like Mia, he wants to keep working at it until he gets it right, which only leads to a lot of frustration for BOTH of us!
Now I’m going to tell him, “Well, Missy said you should really take a break” and I’ll let him read this post!
He LOVES all things Robertson and Duck Dynasty, so maybe this will work! ;)
Life with an Aspie kid can be difficult, so I use whatever I can get! LOL!
BTW, Mia looks sooo much like her big bro Reed in this pic! Both good looking kiddos!
Dec 28, 2015
Angelique :
Beautiful perspective, as usual Missy. It speaks to many levels of life, whether it’s letting God take the reigns or just letting Him show you a different angle on things. Either way, unless God directs us, we can’t do ‘life’ the way it should be done…
Dec 28, 2015
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