I grew up learning the value of being able to make do. Sometimes you don’t always have what you think you need. There are times when you can’t afford what you believe is required. Instead of giving up or quitting on it all, you learn to make do. That’s when the creativity comes into play. You really get to think outside of the box to figure out how to make do with what you already have.
If you cook a lot, I am sure you have figured out ways to make do. You have made a pot of soup made for 4 people and 4 more show up. You don’t turn them away. You start adding things to the soup. It could be a few extra vegetables or maybe some broth that gets thrown in the pot. If it is really bad, you start adding water so the soup doesn’t run out so fast. But there seems to be a way to make do. While it might not make the most ideal soup, the fun and fellowship are really the gift. The soup is just a vehicle to all the joys that surround us.
I think duct tape became popular with those of the mindset to make do. When you don’t have anything else, try duct tape. If something is loose, just duct tape it back. It is a great temporary fix that sometimes becomes a more permanent fix. You now even get it in many different colors and varieties. It may not be the ‘right’ way to fix something, but it does the job when you don’t have anything else.
I think we learn a lot when we have the make do mentality. We don’t waste as much because everything holds potential value. We don’t take things for granted as much. We are always trying to see the ‘other’ uses that objects hold. When we are in a pinch, we can make things come together just fine.
What if we took that same mindset to our whole lives? We don’t always have everything we think we need. We are not always where we want to be. Situations don’t often turn out just like we wanted. We aren’t always going to be on the right spiritual track or where God would want us to be. It could be we are missing all the things already given to us, right before us. If we have a make do mindset, we may realize God has given us everything we need to make it through the struggle. God has equipped us with just the right gifts to do exactly what he wants. We aren’t limited by our thinking because we are living in God’s power. We begin to see the amazing things that can happen when we use what we have already been given. We might find the best things come from making do.
May you see all that is around you. May you realize all God has gifted you. May you see the value of making do.
Focus Scripture:
Colossians 1:11-12
11 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY 