Does It Fit?

Before every person lies a road that seems to be right,

but the end of that road is death and destruction.

—Proverbs 14:12 VOICE

I spied the little table and sized it up as soon as I walked onto the porch of the local marketplace, which features handmade, homegrown, and found items.  Looks to be about the right size.  I moved closer to investigate the price. Twenty dollars. Perfect! But is it sturdy enough to hold a stack of books? I gave it a shake, and it barely budged. I think it will work.

“I’d like to buy the little red table on the porch,” I told the store owner, as I approached the counter.

“Great! Let me wipe it off for you.”

We chatted while she swiped at the dust. “A project table,” she commented.

I must have looked confused because she added, “You’re going to refinish it, right?”

I glanced at the painted table, chipped and scarred with scratches and nicks. “Nope. I like it the way it is.”

“Oh, you like its character,” she concluded.

“Yes, it’s perfect.” I said, excited to take it home to position it in the spot I had planned.

Once I was home I entered my bedroom, table in hand, and surveyed the niche where my bed was situated, only inches from the walls on either side. Immediately I could tell without measuring that the table would not fit in the space. But what if I moved the bed closer to one wall? Would there be enough space on the other side? I had to try. This required moving the bed risers too.

I pushed one riser and then another—and then the bed collapsed. Oh, no! Now what?

While I stood there and stared at the mess I made, I saw another mess—years of dust caked on the carpet in the area that I had just opened up.

Well, at least now I can vacuum it. So I grabbed my new Shark vacuum cleaner from the closet to tackle the job, but I soon realized the space was still not wide enough for the vacuum. Hmm…how do I remove the lift-away section? I pushed this button and that button until it came loose. And I sucked up all the dirt and grime surrounding the side of the bed and outlining the woodwork.

Then it was time to put my vacuum cleaner back together. It shouldn’t be this difficult. Shouldn’t everything just snap into place? I thought, as I forced the nozzle to fit. Oops! That doesn’t go there. Oh, no! Now what?

I tried to undo my mistake, but the piece wouldn’t budge. Where’s the instruction manual? I looked in the carton the cleaner came in. It wasn’t there. I looked in the cabinet where I keep other manuals. Eureka! I examined the parts page but still couldn’t figure out what I had done wrong.

Oh, God, please help me, I prayed. I just bought this Shark, and I like it. And I don’t want to ruin it. Please give me wisdom, Lord.

I went back to work, pushing one lever, pulling another. Within moments my Shark vacuum cleaner was back in shape. But my bed wasn’t.

How can I do this on my own?

Remove the mattress first.

I threw off the pillows and the quilt to make the load lighter and pulled and tugged at the mattress until it moved—and knocked everything off the nightstand. Ugh! Not another mess!

I picked up the pieces and tried again. Success! I moved the mattress off to the side.

Without the mattress on top, the bed was light. I picked up one leg and repositioned it on the riser. I repeated the process twice and then pushed the whole bed against the opposite wall. Yay! I did it!

Time to see if the table will fit. Yes! Perfect! I thought, as I pushed it into place, scraping it against the wall.

Hmm…is it too close?  Would it fit better somewhere else? What about the living room?

No, I argued with myself. You wanted a table here for your Bible and devotionals. Leave it here.

So I repositioned the mattress, the pillows, and the quilt. I put the vacuum away and closed the closet door. But the door wouldn’t stay shut. What’s in the way? I peered around and noticed that the shoe rack hanging on the other side had fallen apart, and the piece on the floor was the problem. Oh, no! Not another mess.

I struggled to fit it back together—or at least good enough—and then slammed the closet door. What a mess! Who would’ve thought the irresistible steal of a deal would have caused all these problems. I hope in the end it will be worth it.

This morning was the test. As usual, I brought my coffee back to bed for my quiet time with God. While placing it on a coaster on my nightstand, I noticed how the bed now butted against the wall, leaving not even a millimeter of space between. Hmm…is this going to work? How will I ever make the bed? I wondered, but I really didn’t want to go through the trouble of moving everything again.

Propped up on pillows, I reached for my tablet from the little red table on the left and clicked on the Bible app. I picked up my coffee from the nightstand on my right and smiled. This is cool. Maybe this is going to work.

I sipped on my coffee while the app was loading.

Ka-Boom!  My bed dropped from beneath me, my coffee splattered every which way, and I sat there aghast, drenched in Folger’s Breakfast Blend. What just happened? Drop-jawed and java dripping from my hair, I remembered. I never adjusted the fourth leg of the bed. Ugh. Quickly I removed the partially-soaked pillowcase from my pillow and used it to sop the drops of joe from my tablet, the wall, and the nightstand. Is there a message in this mess?

Yes, I think there is.

First of all, if it doesn’t fit, don’t force it. If you do, you may be worse off than when you started. How many times have we made decisions that didn’t fit and found ourselves in a mess? As for me, too many to count. Just because something looks good or seems right it doesn’t mean it’s the best choice. Maybe it fits better somewhere else.

Secondly, always pray and consult the instruction manual before acting on a decision. Build your house (or your bed) on a firm foundation. Make decisions that align with God’s Word. When we do, we can avoid the mess in the first place.

Lastly, listen to the little voice inside of you. For the Christian, that’s the Holy Spirit speaking. If you have doubt or uneasiness over a choice, don’t put that table in place. That’s probably the Holy Spirit telling you “no” or “hold off.”

Now if you will excuse me, I have clean up to do in the coffee aisle.

Dear Lord, thank You for all the ways You teach me. May I learn from my mistakes and not repeat them. And may all my decisions be fitting for a follower of Christ. Amen.