I Don't Follow Directions.

I don't do well following directions.

I can follow a recipe (mostly). Yesterday that may have been seen as debatable as I ruined my first batch of gingerbread muffins. Big FAIL. I thought the batter was pale. Maybe they'll darken more than I expect in the oven, I said to myself. Umm, no, not unless I burned them. When I pulled them out of the oven I looked at the recipe again and saw the ingredient I missed. Molasses, I forgot the molasses. The rest of the batter went down the drain and the muffins are feeding some wildlife (they tasted as bland as they looked.)

I can follow a knitting pattern. Now. I finally learned not to skip the part about knitting a swatch to test gauge because it is as important as the pros say.

However, when it comes to putting together those toys on Christmas morning, that's all the Husband's job. Because I do not follow the directions. I look at the pieces and expect it to be intuitive and then...I mess it up because sometimes what looks right isn't. Sometimes there's a reason piece 27 needs to be snapped into slot B before piece 12 gets snapped into slot f. (I didn't even know they were numbered because I didn't read the directions.) The Husband has had to save the day more than once because I think it should be intuitive.

The Husband (AKA Mr. Safety sometimes) reads the instructions..he even reads the whole thing through before beginning just like the instructions say. (He even reads all the fine print before he signs anything...and everything.)

Life should be intuitive, don't you think? There are times when all you can do is trust your gut. But...there are other times when what feels right or good or easy, just isn't the right way. Sometimes we have to look for and read the instructions. Sometimes we have to listen to what older, wiser and or more experienced people have to say on the subject.

Otherwise we'll end up getting stuck in a bad spot..just like when I got those primary-colored plastic pieces put together wrong. Sometimes it's easier to fix than others...

I know what to do when I mess up a knitting pattern, rip it out and start over. We can't always hit the rewind button on life that way. BUT...we can ask God and the people we've impacted for forgiveness and mean it. We can turn to God's Word for direction and we can get forgiveness and grace and move on and try to do better the next time....by following the directions.

-Peace