God's Hospital

There are one about three things I remember from my college days.  One is the steps to system analysis and design.

1. Define the problem
2. Gather Solutions
3. Decide on the best
4. Implement 
5. Review

Most projects go south because people did not define the problem so they did not know what they were solving and/or they did not review so they did not know if they were successful.
One of the other things was from Dwight Edwards.  He would say that "I am just one beggar showing another beggar where to get some food for the night"  this is the attitude we should have as we show others the way to the cross.   Not proud or haughty, just moving towards the cross and picking up the wounded as we go.
I would like to suggest my own for the times when God is really moving around me.  "I am just an orderly changing bed pans in God's hospital"  Relationships are harder and more weird and sometimes God moves in because we are not able to handle it ourselves.  There is God picking up the steaming pile of goo that we create in our own failings.  Sometimes He disciplines, corrects, sometime He leans into us as we lean into Him.  Sometime He, like in the Garden, hides and we must stretch to find Him. Third Day - Call my Name
He never leaves us.  He never forsakes us.  He does refine us, test our mettel
(met·tle (met′'l) noun quality of character or temperament; esp., high quality of character; spirit; courage; ardor) bend us to the point of breaking, catches us when we fall. Yes all to His Glory and all to trust more in His huge capacity to love us.

This of course like basic training does for a soldier, prepare us to battle.  When the storm of life come we have been trained and we know how to react.  There is no question, we draw, fire and hit our mark.  The story of policemen who were found dead with their spent brass in their pockets from when they reloaded.  You see that is how they did it on the practice range.  So when they needed to do it for real they took the time to put the brass in their pocket instead of dropping it and reloading and focusing on the task.  Their improper training essentially killed them.
What great thing it is that God takes up through the various trials in training.  We are able to recognize the oncoming storm clouds gathering, batten the hatches down and get ready. Prepare ye the way

The Word of the Lord came one evening
Concerning His bride's great sin
He'd send down His Word to renew her
To prepare for the Bridegroom again
The Word said repent
From seeking vain glories
While the gifts in the Lord's name you give
Repent of all the first stones cast to kill
While your own self-righteousness lives

Prepare ye the way for the Lord
Prepare ye the way for the kingdom
Prepare ye the way
Prepare ye the way for the Lord

The Word said repent and turn from your strivings
Repent and turn from your hatred
Repent from the doctrines of men that divide
And fear like the wedding gown ripped

Walk in His love like newborn children
Walk in His love, let the wedding gown mend
Walk in His love, with humility come with pure hearts
And cast all your cares to the wind

The Word of the Lord came one evening
Concerning His bride's sin
He assured me we will be forgiven
And then let the marriages begin

Luke 3

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

 ¹In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— ²during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. ³He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁴As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
   "A voice of one calling in the desert,
   'Prepare the way for the Lord,
      make straight paths for him.
 ⁵Every valley shall be filled in,
      every mountain and hill made low.
   The crooked roads shall become straight,
      the rough ways smooth.
 ⁶And all mankind will see God's salvation.' "^[a]