Learning to tie a double-knot

I used to wear shoes that needed to be tied with laces a lot more than I do now, but whenever I lace up a pair of sneakers I am always cognizant of the fact those laces may work their way loose as the day goes on. They present a tripping hazard if left in that condition, so I usually take a little extra effort 'up front' to ensure this doesn't happen by placing the laces into a double-knot. That simple 'extra effort' doesn't seem like much, but when it is the 'right effort', the rewards are innumerable!

God-friendship is for God-worshipers; They are the ones he confides in. If I keep my eyes on God, I won’t trip over my own feet. (Psalm 25:14-15 MSG)

The 'up front' effort we put into our daily relationship with God is important - it helps keep us from 'tripping up' throughout the day. While the communication with him should go all day long, and there should be an awareness of his ever-present care over our lives, it is good to 'begin' well. This is a special time where two (God and each of us) can actually share a little about themselves and get to know each other a little better - but it requires some willingness on our part to actually put in the effort to get something out of the relationship!

To the one who suffers a lot of 'trip ups' in life, I'd have one suggestion - spend a little more time 'up front' of your day getting alone with God, if even for just a few moments. Why? You are less likely to get 'tripped up' when you have done a little better 'prep' for the day, just like when I put the second knot in the laces. In those moments together, God actually confides in us. These are times when the 'personal matters' of our lives are opened up and the one who actually can help us with them is at the ready to listen, respond, and even intervene.

When we are willing to confide in someone, we are showing just how much we trust them. We are willing to be transparent - truthful and free to be ourselves with that individual. God isn't going to laugh at what brings us pain or anxiety. He isn't going to shake his head at what we cannot seem to let go of, but which gives us more than one 'tripping hazard' in our lives. In fact, he is going to embrace our honesty and respond in ways that help us to tie that 'double-knot' in our lives that keeps us from 'tripping up'!

Before I learned to tie a double-knot, I had to learn to tie the single bow! This required a great deal of patience on the part of my mom, as she was the one who was constantly directing me to go under, over, and through so that the laces were fashioned into something resembling a bow. At first, the laces were loose, kind of straggly, and a bit too 'imperfect' to really be called a bow. In time, the more we practiced together, the tighter the bows became - the more they resembled the 'perfect' bow. God's relationship with us is kind of like that - we don't always get the lesson the first time, nor do we always 'tie the best bow', but with a little 'practice', we do eventually 'tie the knot' that will hold throughout the day! Better yet, we learn to die the 'double-knot' that isn't easily undone - the knot between Jesus and us. Just sayin!