He: (sighing)  “You can never remember numbers.”
Me: (calmly). “You’re right.  But I don’t need to because you’re so good at numbers.”

Dear Husband and I are an example of very different strong points.  We could allow our differences to frustrate each other, or we can be grateful that we can make up for each other’s weaknesses.  Opposites make a good team!  

In these times of uncertainty, I think God is showing all of us some important life lessons.  He is making it clear that we need each other.  None of us has all the answers, all the abilities, all the strengths.  No one succeeds and thrives on their own. There is really no such thing as a self-made man.  We learn from each other’s experiences and knowledge.  We contribute with the gifts we’ve been given and others contribute with their gifts to make a functioning whole.

“Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.”  Romans 12:5-6

Part of leaning on, and learning from each other is getting advice.  We need the input and help of those who are strong in areas where we are weak. Getting input from those ahead of us on the path can help us avoid pitfalls.  We’re so blessed to have Husband’s godly parents to go to for guidance.  Getting advice from others who are successful accelerates our success. I have changed things in my business after getting input from successful women in my professional circles.

“Plans succeed through good counsel; don’t go to war without wise advice.”  Proverbs 20:18
   “Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.  Proverbs 15:22
   “People who despise advice are asking for trouble. . .”  Proverbs 13:13
“Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers.”  Proverbs 11:14

In these times of uncertainty, I think God is teaching us to trust that he has our best interests at heart.  Sometimes (ok, many times) God simply doesn’t work things out the way we had in mind.  If we can hold onto him and believe he is better at directing our lives than we are, we will have peace.  This is a very mundane example of trusting God from our lives recently.  We had to change cell phone carriers.  The past two weeks have been time-sucks of waiting on hold, online chats, waiting for SIM cards, realizing the carrier we were waiting for didn’t provide the services we needed, and forfeiting a month’s payment. Then we started the process again with a different carrier which went more smoothly.   The whole time I kept this thought in mind:  God wants us to be good parents and grandparents.  In order to do that, we need to communicate.  God knows we need phones.  He knows our finances.  He will provide. Finally, I asked one of our adult sons what service they use.  (Smart to get advice from a tech savvy, money savvy person!) Good news, they were happy to have us join their low-priced plan and it would even benefit them to have us.  Husband’s phone ported quickly and he has service already.  No being on hold.  No conflicting answers.  Just a working phone.  Thank you, Lord.  My number, on the other hand, hasn’t ported.  The thing I’m so grateful for is that somehow I still have service on a closed account.  We have assurance in our hearts that God will provide a phone plan for me, too.  Peace is a sweet thing.  When you know God has given you a job to do, you know he’ll make a way.

“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him,”  2 Peter 1:3

When we trust God has our best in mind, we’ll be willing to change ours plans when he shows us it’s necessary.  A catchword during the pandemic in business circles has been ‘pivot’.  This means that in order to be successful, businesses have to be flexible enough to change from their old ways to new ways of doing business.  I have really struggled during the pandemic finding new ways to do my business.  Finally, I started a  side hustle on Etsy as an extension of my business.   As believers, we also need to be flexible and try new things if God closes one door and opens another.  Just because we’ve been doing things a certain way, doesn’t mean that we should insist on continuing it.  When we plan, we have to remember that God may change our plans.  Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, was a successful church planter.  He always had big plans of where and when he would travel to establish and assist new churches.  He was good at making plans and carrying them out.  Yet God wanted him to go to Macedonia and that wasn’t on Paul’s itinerary.  After several dead ends, Paul didn’t throw up his hands in exasperation and go on strike.  He just pivoted and went to another place until eventually, God revealed the importance of going to Macedonia, and Paul immediately dropped his own plans and went at once to Macedonia.  I want to be willing to change my plans like that.

“Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time.  Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there.  So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas.
That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!”  So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there. We boarded a boat at Troas and sailed . . .”   Acts 16:6-11

Let’s make the most of this present time by leaning on and learning from each other.  Let’s trust that God has our best in mind and rest in that peace, and be willing to change our plans when he shows us a different direction.

“. . . let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”  Romans 12:2

PS  My phone ported Tuesday afternoon and I have good service!