We have this temperamental riding lawn mower. This past week the mowing deck got stuck up. It would not lower down. It was stuck.  My husband did what he always did, went to one side of the mower and tried to release the pulley. It did not let go and did not go down.  Then, a moment of inspiration.

“Sometimes you have to fix it from the other side.”

So, he went to the other side of the mower and yanked on the deck. Guess what? It released and came down.

That got me thinking.

• How many times have I tried to ‘fix myself’ and ‘fix others’ in my own strength?
• How many times do I keep trying to do things the same old way I always have?
• How many times do I criticize myself  because I am a not ‘perfect little Christian’?
• How many times do I focus on my sin and not my Savior?
• How many times have I chosen not to show grace and mercy?

Sometimes you have to fix it from the other side. I believe that once I confess these things, the Lord will change my heart and fix it from the other side. He has to change it. All my willpower and ‘want to’ will not do it. My self-righteousness is like filthy rags. Yes, I struggle. I think we all do. We all have our thorns – those things that bother us again and again. But God is greater than our hearts. And He is able to help. This only brought more questions:

• And what about when people get sick and are not healed?
• What about when someone dies prematurely?
• What about suicide?
• What about all those things that don’t make sense here on Earth?

Maybe GOD WILL FIX IT ON THE OTHER SIDE – in Heaven.

There is no sickness, no tears, and streets of gold.

GOD’S WORD FOR YOU:

 God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more, neither shall there be anguish (sorrow and mourning) nor grief nor pain any more, for the old conditions and the former order of things have passed away. (Revelation 21:4 AMP)

I [the Lord] will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. (Psalm 32:8 AMP)

MY PRAYER FOR YOU:

Dear Lord,

We confess we try too hard in our own strength. We confess that we are our own worst enemies sometimes. Forgive us for criticizing what you have made – us. And for trying to ‘fix it’ ourselves. Thank you Lord that you can fix it from the other side. Today we choose to trust You and Your ways – even if it doesn’t make sense to us. Thank you Lord for creating a new heart within us and turning our hearts back to You, in Jesus Name.