Craig Clouston

How Hard Could It Be?

It is not good to have zeal without knowledge…

Proverbs 19:2

Mike’s landlord had promised to install his window air conditioner two weeks ago, yet here he was sweating in his stuffy little apartment; no fan, not even a breeze coming through the window. Figuring the landlord had forgotten about him, Mike dialed his number once more. Getting the landlord’s voicemail he left another message asking him to please install the unit.

Two days later, with no response from the landlord, and the mercury bumping triple digits, Mike had an inspiration; I could help him out and do it myself. After all, how hard could it be?

Mike headed for the storage room to find the unit assigned to his apartment. Finding the corresponding air conditioner Mike carried it to the elevator and headed back upstairs. Once back in his apartment, he raised the window high enough to accommodate installation, and hoisted the heavy unit into place. He held onto the unit while pulling down the sash. Unexpectedly, the sash dropped like a rock, and Mike lost his grip. The window slammed into his fingers resulting in a natural reaction; Mike jerked his hand away from the cause of his pain!

With a startled yelp Mike watched in shock and disbelief as the air conditioner tumbled from its perch, falling three stories to the uninhabited sidewalk below.

With new-found understanding Mike realized, I guess it was harder than I thought!

†

We should know our limitations, because acting impulsively can create more problems than we started with.

Mike discovered that it isn’t enough to have the desire to do something. Having at least some working knowledge of the task we are attempting is essential.

Mike’s landlord knew about the sticky window sash. He also knew where to hold the air conditioner so if he lost control of the window it wouldn’t smash his fingers! Mike’s zeal created additional work and added unnecessary expense to his already unpleasant situation.

If we have to ask how hard could it be? maybe the wise thing to do would be to ask for help, before we find out it was harder than we thought.

Prayer

“Teach me to not be foolish, Lord, and to know when to leave things to those with more experience. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”