Even When You Cannot See

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” - Proverbs 3:5
 
 
The original movie, “The Karate Kid,” is about a young boy named Daniel LaRussa who wants to learn karate so that he can defend himself. He’s tired of being bullied and beaten by the ex-boyfriend of a girl he likes. He asks the janitor in his building, an elderly Japanese man named Mr. Miyagi, who is a martial arts expert, to teach him karate.
 
Mr. Miyagi eventually agrees but tells Daniel that if he wants to learn he must listen carefully and follow his words. He instructs Daniel to perform a range of chores repeatedly: paint the fence, wash the car, and buff the floors. For a whole week these are the only things Daniel does.
 
Finally, Daniel gets frustrated that Mr. Miyagi isn’t teaching him karate. He gets frustrated that what his teacher promised isn’t manifesting. Right before he wants to quit, Mr. Miyagi asks him to assume the fighting position. When his teacher goes to strike him, he tells him to move his hands like he is washing the car. He then goes to strike him again and tells him to move his hands like he is painting the fence. He does the same thing with the motion of buffing the floors.
 
Daniel soon discovers that while he thought he was wasting time doing these tasks, he actually is learning how to block his opponent. Mr. Miyagi was not wasting the boy’s time, but instead teaching him how to defend himself. Many times, God operates the same way.
 
God might be instructing you to do something that you believe has nothing to do with what you asked of Him. But God’s ways are not our ways, and He always knows what He is doing. What He wants you to do is trust Him even when you cannot see. Because what He is doing is ultimately preparing you for the blessing or reward you are so eagerly waiting for. No matter how it looks in the moment, trust God… even when you cannot trace what he is doing.