Rubik's cube problems

Thanks to my son who begged me to buy him a Rubik’s cube, our family added a new hobby just in time for summer.  We typically swim in the lake and play basketball.  We firmly said NO to a Wii when the kids were younger and it was the hottest thing on the market.  We have continued to say NO over the years.  A big video game “set-up” seemed overwhelming to me.  I could not help but wonder if we would have as many controllers in front of the t.v. as we do shoes by the door. 

I was thrilled when Bosque asked for a Rubik’s cube though.  My husband and I both had them when were kids and never managed to solve our cubes, or at least honestly.  I took off the stickers and put them back on to finish it one day when my frustration reached an all-time high.  My hubby admitted to disassembling the whole thing and then putting it back together again.  Yes, we cheated. 

Excitement was in the air when I walked in with the Fred’s sack and dumped not one, but two packages on the couch.  The cubes were immediately unpacked and it was game on.  I was surprised when after only a few minutes, the playing turned to frustration.   The kids were actually surprised, disappointed, and mad that they could not crack the cube with just a few tries. DUH!

I scolded both of them and delivered my “Kids these days are just pitiful and think everything in life is supposed to be instant” speech.  Solving a Rubik’s cube is anything but instant.  It is a long process.  It takes perseverance and patience.

Since then, extensive research has taken place in our home on how to solve the cube.  They call it looking for hints or clues, but I call it cheating!    Bosque has taken more notes than he probably took the whole year in school.  He has studied his notes from intense internet cube hackers and tried to apply everything step by step, click by click.   

My son’s approach to his new toy has reminded me of the approach I should have to my problems and puzzles in life.   First of all, life is a process.  It requires patience, just like solving the Rubik’s cube.  Patience, like it is used in the Bible, means long suffering.  If our problems in life were instantly resolved, we would not have to seek the LORD, study His instruction book, and learn to trust Him and His perfect timing. 

Waiting can be frustrating though.  We first get aggravated and then just plain mad!  When we reach the point of being irate, we have two choices. We can give up, throw a fit, and sin.  In the case of the cube, we can throw it and hope it breaks! 

The other option is to dig deeper and look for help.  Bosque did that I guess when he began looking on the internet for clues.  We can do that in life when we begin looking in the Bible for clues on how to deal with the issue and honestly seeking wisdom from the Lord.

Psalm 40 gives me hope for the difficulties I have in life that just seem to linger, and linger, and linger.  David wrote “I waited patiently for the LORD; He turned to me and heard my cry.  He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” 

If your problems are getting you down, wait patiently for the LORD.  Seek him, spend time with Him, know that he will lift you out of whatever you are IN, and even give you a firm place to stand!