Dear Friend, The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. I learned this lesson the hard way
through my botched attempt to hastily place grout into the natural stone accent tile without
following instructions.
Once I got past my mild depression and finally resigned myself to the fact that I had to remove and
replace the entire ruined 8-foot section, my momentum picked up and my resolve to complete the
project was strengthened.
Read on to see how gaining my “second wind” enabled me to advance closer to the finish line.
Blessings,
Verdun Woods The Thriving Marriage Coach
One Step Back
Sometimes we have to retreat in order to advance. Removing the damaged section of the accent tile was no small task. If I wasn’t careful, there was a high risk of damaging the main tiles which could have caused me to replace a major section of the wall. Through the slow but steady process of working with a chisel, hammer, and keyhole saw, I managed to remove all of the sections without incident. Taking one step back enabled me to take two steps forward.
Silver Linings
After breathing a sigh of relief, I saw an opportunity to turn this stumbling block into a stepping stone. There were two wall switches above a section of the replaced tile that were originally misaligned, which required me to make an uneven cut to the trim and detracted from the appearance of that part of the wall. Removing that section of the accent tile allowed me to realign the wall switches and improved the overall quality of the job. Also, the original grout was a darker color which didn’t highlight the rich natural stone colors. I took advantage of the do-over to purchase a much lighter colored grout which made the accent tile really “pop.” These two enhancements were the silver linings that emerged from the dark cloud of my blunder.
Perseverance
Perseverance is defined as “continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failures, or opposition.” Though I faced times of weariness and discouragement over my costly mistakes, I pressed on. One part of me was motivated by the sheer competitive will to succeed; another part was driven by the major investment I had made in time, money, and literally blood, sweat and tears. But perhaps the biggest reason for persevering was the commitment I made when I began the project that “quitting was not an option.”
Reaping in Due Season
It’s tempting to get discouraged and want to give up when you’ve worked so hard for so long to achieve a desired outcome and can’t see the end in sight. The Apostle Paul shared these words of encouragement to a group of struggling believers who were growing weary in their efforts to live right: “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time (in due season) we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up!”
During my years as a relationship coach, I’ve encountered couples who were on the verge of giving up on their “home” improvement efforts. But as they gained insight and aligned their hearts and minds to the timeless principles of the scriptures, they developed endurance and encouragement, which produced hope. If you have felt the drift into emotional detachment or spiritual isolation in your relationship, CLICK HERE to schedule a FREE 30-minute preview of my virtual course A Marriage that T.H.R.I.V.E.S. There’s a harvest of blessing waiting for you!