the flashlight

Last week, we had an interesting encounter with the flashlight. We were spending time with a family member and she had just recently gotten this flashlight. It was new and cool so hubby decided to test it out; this required putting the battery in and clicking the button on...simple enough right?

Right.

That process took literally upwards of 10 minutes. This is with multiple attempts by at least two people to get the cover screwed back on. At one point, as I sat fairly amused, yet semi bored, I suggested that they look closer at the battery to ensure that all extra coverings/parts were removed. I was immediately reassured that this was done and this was not the reason why the cover refused to snap back on. I shrugged and left it alone.

Finally, and maybe almost 15 minutes later, it was noticed  that there was a thin black covering on one of the battery prongs and this small, thin, and very insignificant protective piece literally impeded the flashlight from being put back together and being useful.

As I smugly smiled to myself (yes, I had a moment of gloating), I couldn't help but think how similar this is to life.

1. There were no instructions (for the flashlight or for life).

2. It seems that it can be done by intuition or common sense.

3. Very small things impede productivity (or successful living).

It also made me think of my role in the process. I was very hands off. I sat and watched. I wasn't invited to assist or give input and for that, my input was minimal (other than the one statement earlier in the process). However (ironically), the one piece of input I did offer was brushed off/ignored but happened to be the "key" to the problem; it seemed too simple to be the reason why the flashlight was not being put back together.

How often has the solution to the problem been a really really simple answer? Or how many times have we received the answer, but because it seemed too obvious, too small, too simple that we ignored it?

For those of us who are Christians, how often has the "still small voice" (Holy Spirit) given us a nudge, or a directive and we've ignored it (intentionally or not)? In the Bahamas, we refer to our intuition (which I'd like to think is the Holy Spirit) as "one mind". I can't tell you the amount of times I've said:

"one mind told me I should have checked the glove compartment." (fill in the details to make it relevant). He's there, waiting for us to ask for direction and/or clarification. The truth is that He won't push Himself on us, or in the situation even though He knows ALL. We've got to slow down, humble ourselves and actually ask. And then, once we ask- it behooves us that we should maybe take heed to the answer. ;)

I guess the lesson I walked away with, wasn't that I was a genius but it really made me think a couple times over the past couple days about how many times had I been stuck and the answer was staring me right in the face. Additionally, because hind sight is 100%, I look back and realize that there was an indication of this but due to whatever other circumstance I overlooked or ignored it.

Life may not come with explicit instructions and it may seem that we can conquer it with common sense but I've accepted and challenge you to consider using The Guide for the big and the small situations.

After all, what do you have to lose?

Grace peace and love,
Gia