It has been said, or at least I have heard, that “time flies when you’re having fun”. I believe this is true.

How about when life isn’t fun?

What about when life seems bent on bringing us pain and misery?

On one hand, it seems to fly.

On the other, it seems to drag.

It’s a paradox that I can’t really put my finger on.

Today I find myself back in Michigan. I’ll be here for another week and then I am headed to, of all places, Washington state for the winter.

My youngest son lives there on the joint military base and has asked that I come out and spend some time there to support him as he walks through some significant life challenges. With Joelle’s support and blessing, I have agreed to do so.

This is the exact opposite place I thought I’d find myself.

Since purchasing our Bigfoot 2500 series trailer, I have spent time in Texas and then after attending the NRVTA training lectures have made my way back to Michigan.

As a now educated “Registered Technician” for Mobile RV Repair with a certification in Solar Installations, I had planned to winter over in Florida and begin building a mobile RV repair business along with a custom solar installation business for the RV space.

It appears God has other plans.

The state of Washington in the winter is the exact opposite place one would want to be when trying to establish such a business.

By the way, you can see the new website for this venture at https://robthervguy.com

It’s a test of my faith and a pressure on my abilities to remain positive through a road block and detour.

As a parent, I find, at times, it to be a significant challenge to know when the right time to help and step in may be.

My children are all fully into adult hood. 31, 30, 26, and 20. Each fully independent and living their own lives making their own way and choices.

However, each struggles with their own set of challenges.

I am working through the delicate balance of being available to help, having a willingness to do so, and trying to avoid enabling and rescuing all at the same time.

Thankfully, through the years of loss and pain, I have been exposed to and have had to learn the art of proper boundaries and balances. And even now, still don’t fully know if I grasp it totally.

As I age and walk toward 60 years old, one thing I know. I find that I know less and less.

I am not one who walks in nuances. I tend to be rather black and white and straight forward. Yes, there are “more than one way to skin a cat”. However, in my own mind, there are absolutes and certainties in how we must live out our lives and walk our path ways.

Among those certainties in my head is this.

There are two ways to do things.

God’s Way

and

The Wrong Way

In my mind, there’s no variable.

Yes, there are areas where the Lord isn’t clear in all things specifically, for even Paul in his writings, acknowledges this at times.  “Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy.” 1 Corinthians 7:25

However, in most instances God has a way in which we should respond or handle a matter.

Naturally, there is no way to know God’s way unless I am to invest my time in searching for his answers throughout his word, the Bible.

With that said, God’s way is often very difficult to put into practice.

I am finding this particularly true right now quite frankly.

At this moment in my life what it would appear I am supposed to be doing is not at all the way in which I would thought it would be, like it to be, nor am I thrilled with what he is allowing or causing me to go through in the process.

However, that’s the point I suppose, isn’t it?

He knows what he’s doing and I need to trust the process.

I have written about it many, many times.

Now, I get to apply my own advice.

Great.

Well, that’s about it for now.

As we venture out, and head west, I hope to stop through the Grand Teton area for a bit of fall color.

From my memory, the back side of the range where it meets Idaho was quite beautiful at the fall season. Perhaps we will get through there at the right time….

You can plan on us sharing if that’s indeed the case.

rob out