Captain Obvious: The Lord's Unexpected Lessons

So as I sit and dedicate my thought life to the events of the last month or so, I've realized something that the Lord has been teaching me. As a person of constant question, its easy for me to try and develop answers ahead of time and predict how things "ought to be" or certain situations may pan out. I think that when i do this i start to miss out on the unexpected lessons that the Lord may be trying to teach me and can even wind myself into a frenzy of disappointment or discouragement. Lately it has been the "unexpected" places where i have found true growth, the places in my life that i have considered impossible or out of reach.

To start, the Lord has shown me that with proper encouragement and support, i can push myself to places that i did not think i could go, and in turn, has instilled the desire to become a more encouraging and supportive individual for the benefit of others. The physical and emotional limitations i have put on myself due to previous failures have been stretched farther than they have ever been in the past, and not only that, there seems to be a level of growth and peace to be attained on the other side. When our deepest fears and desires have been submitted to the will of the Lord, and we just walk as we normally would, the ability to distinguish the Lord's guidance is exponentially heightened. The ability to trust that you are in the will of the Lord is no longer in a state of constant question, the fears have subsided, the worry has faded and you simply walk. The Lord is the Lord and you are you.

Also i have been learning about patience and hard work, not just physically although that as well, but patience in the areas of life that seem to be so promising and hopeful. Patience in the hope that the Lord is orchestrating something so beyond your wildest imagination that it almost has to be allotted to you in small increments solely due to its pure awesomeness! and hard work, hard work in the areas of your heart and mind that you leave untouched due to their extreme ability to manifest themselves into emotions and thoughts that are unnecessary and troublesome. these also need to be submitted to the Lord for his guidance, and with proper support and encouragement also seem to dissolve into a pile of useless stresses that can be easily lifted off the back of a burdened soul.

Hard Work! what a lesson the Lord has been teaching me, Discipline and Patience! As all of these have begun to unfold in my thought life as lessons the Lord has shown me, He has at the same time been teaching me the same lessons in the physical realm. The work I've been doing lately is hard, and requires discipline and patience to perform, with my job being postponed for nearly two weeks already, and my reserve funds dwindling, i have been working for the company TAPkon inc. doing general labor work to fill my time.

i decided to include some pictures for you all to enjoy:

i spent the whole workday priming the pieces of a future helicopter rigging of some sort, for paint and fabrication.

it was about 105 degrees at it's peak, and what a mess i made trying to bring it all together, but at the end of the day, the rewarding feeling of getting it done and working hard all day, brought an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction and energy (plus a terrible sunburn!) enjoy

here is the job site i was on today, a ranch in the Fresno area (i also learned to drive that tractor today)

here's the mess i made out of the whole primer situation haha:

yes, that's the sunburn line (be very impressed!)
oh and just for good measure, this is a sign across the street from my hotel! it had me cracking up, so i had to stop and get a photo for everyone! haha