Is That Wise?

There I was, started on the foundation, but without any other contractors lined up. No framer, no plumber, no HVAC contractor. Time to get nervous. That is exactly what I did, until Wednesday morning, I believe it was—the day they set the block walls for the new basement—when I had an intense conversation with the Lord.

I embarked on this project because I believed that the Lord wanted to give it to me. I believed that He was giving me the opportunity to do something I’d dreamed of doing for years. I believed that He wanted me to enjoy it. My preliminary experience, in the drawing stage, had been anything but enjoyable and anything but a dream come true and anything but a gift from God, because of the individual I was working with. We weren’t going in the same direction with the project. From early on there had been an uneasiness that I had stifled because I assumed I was working with the "right" contractor. As a result, by the time I sent him on his way, my delight in the project was zero.

But there are so many decisions to make! How could I know I was getting the right contractor? How could I know this? How could I know that? And I concluded that on my own, I could not. It was essential that I depend on the Lord for direction. But let’s be very real, here. How was I to know which direction the Lord was leading me to go? Was I supposed to use only the best? Only the cheapest? Only small contractors? Only people with lots of experience? What was I to do? How was I to know what the Lord was saying?

That morning, as I conversed with the Lord, I reached a decision. I would use only contractors with whom I felt entirely comfortable. Young or old, handsome or ugly, skinny or fat, charming or matter-of-fact, expensive or reasonably priced, strangers or friends, Christian or pagan—none of those things could play a part in my decision. If there was anything at all in my internal response to someone that I didn’t feel comfortable with, I was going to walk away from that contractor, and I was going to wait as long as necessary—even if it meant holding the project up for months—until I found just the right guy for my job.

Is that wise? Good question.

This is my opinion: most of the time we equate wisdom with frugality. But there is more to our lives than money. I was totally comfortable with the fellow who did my foundation—the first and only contractor with whom I discussed the foundation—and I have had a blast having him and his crew working here. Money is such a small part of wisdom; divine guidance is such a large part.

We need to step beyond what we have reason to know, into what we know without having a reason.

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