Daily problems, oh, and one more to boot!

26 And in the same way—by our faith—the Holy Spirit helps us with our daily problems and in our praying. For we don’t even know what we should pray for nor how to pray as we should, but the Holy Spirit prays for us with such feeling that it cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows, of course, what the Spirit is saying as he pleads for us in harmony with God’s own will. 28 And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans. (Romans 8:26-28 TLB)

Most days I need someone's help - if not "human help", I certainly need the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit. What is so certain is that we have DAILY problems. They aren't occasional, once in a great while, in the by and by kind of problems that emerge - they are DAILY. Sometimes we don't recognize them as problems, but they are nonetheless. Problems demand a solution - ignore them and they just get bigger. Sometimes the solution eludes us - like it did during a recent 'build' of a database I was developing for the team I support. Do you know how many times I went to bed at night contemplating how I could provide the exact solution they needed in how this database would function? About an entire week's worth of laying my head on the pillow resulted in some type of early morning epiphany of how to accomplish what they set out to have. Each night, I'd have a different set of needs in mind. Each morning, there'd come a new solution to attempt! Now, that isn't just my mind working overtime - it is the help of the Holy Spirit to either bring to mind something I already knew, but just wasn't seeing; or he was giving me a fresh solution to a problem I had never encountered before!

As with the database, we sometimes know what we envision might work, but when we put into action what we feel may be the solution, we encounter hurdles that kind of set us back. I have learned to walk away for a while from what is staring me right in the face, not in defeat, but in quiet contemplation. In those moments of quietness, and even in slumber, God is opening and refreshing our minds! He is clearing out what we see as the hurdle so that we can see the path ahead and how to vault the hurdle! Daily problems demand just as frequent of answers - and there is no better way to find the answers than to get into the posture of listening! There are times when it is better to just stop 'doing' and start 'quietly listening' so that we can see where we have made any wrong moves that have contributed to the problem. When I make a 'wrong move' with the database, it returns an immediate 'error warning' or 'void' calculation. Why? It cannot produce what is needed because something in my 'set-up' of the formula was wrong. There are lots of times I have attempted to just go on in life with 'wrong formulas' - but the 'return' on all those attempts yielded nothing but lots and lots of error messages!

If the Spirit knows how to guide us with what is in harmony with God's will, why on earth don't we accept that guidance a little more often? I know our pride gets in the way some of the time, but I think our 'hurried' lifestyle might just get in the way a little more frequently. We don't take time out of our busy days to just get quiet long enough to listen. I was making something in my shop yesterday and the solution to it kind of evaded me. I wanted a rolling cart to store my woodworking clamps on that would slide under the workbench and be out of the way. It needed to be at an angle, much like an A-Frame structure. I was constructing it with some new lumber and a little bit of scrap wood I had collected around the shop. It had to be narrow, so as to fit under the bench, but it also had to be sturdy because those clamps can weigh a great deal. I got to the part of making the angled support at the top and chose two pieces of salvaged wood to make the supports. I didn't realize they had some of those embedded nuts in the back of the wood as I set out to saw the desired angle. You know what happened - I jammed up the circular saw with a nut in between the guard and the blade. Yup, that little set back took me about 20 minutes of finagling to get the blade out, the nut free and everything put back together! Do you know what is even worse? I kind of felt like I was supposed to turn the wood over and inspect it before I cut it, but didn't! I knew the wood was the right dimension, marked it, and set out to cut it. The first rule of woodworking is to know your wood! Know the grain, where the knots are, how it is milled, etc.

The first rule of making life decisions - know your guide! We have been given the Holy Spirit to help us avoid those 'time-consuming', potentially life-altering moments when we make mistakes that could damage us, the thing at hand, or another! Just sayin!

Is this the hill I will climb?

Robert Schuller once said, "Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines." Many times we look at a problem as something that will stop us right in our tracks - impeding our ability to move any further until that problem is removed. The "removal" of the problem may be a whole lot bigger than the progress we would actually make by removing it, though! I have a corner fireplace that is brick from floor to ceiling. It takes up a great deal of "space" in the room and makes that corner basically non-functional since we don't burn fires. I'd much rather "remove" it and have the space to spread out the furniture in the room, but to do so would be so much more work than the added square footage would benefit me! What little I'd gain by "removing the problem" wouldn't actually be worth the expense or the effort. There are times when the problem is best left and we just allow ourselves to be "guided" in how we deal with it!

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.  And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. (Romans 5:3-5 NLT)

Yes, some problems will need complete and total removal - while others may just be obstacles in our path, but don't deserve much more than to learn how to handle their existence. Most think of a problem as something requiring a solution. Have you ever been confronted with something you just didn't find a solution for in this life? We make inquiry, attempting to understand it better, and still the full knowledge of its purpose or solution may not be discovered. I know stars exist, and even that they twinkle in the sky on a clear, dark night. I don't have to figure out how they got there to know they exist. I see them! I don't always have to know "why" a problem exists - I can see it there and appreciate it as an obstacle in my path without fully understanding "why" it exists. Instead, I can see it as a means by which endurance, strength of character, and the right expectations can be established in my life. In this sense, the problem serves as a "guideline", not a "stop sign".

Many a problem may exist as an "unsettled question" - we may never know this side of the grave the solution to that specific question or life problem! To some, this might not be acceptable - but the degree of frustration caused by attempting to figure out the answer to the question may cause us way more grief than it is worth! To most of us, we see problems as things which actually "vex" us a little - they give us unfathomable anxiety and distress. We just cannot get beyond that point in our lives until we remove the problem by "solving it" somehow. This might be how we get to some places of compromise in our lives, though. Instead of allowing a problem to exist and then using it as a means by which we "navigate" in life, we get involved with the problem until it begins to have an effect on our lives. Some problems are like sleeping dogs - they are best left alone!

While I don't advocate just walking away from our problems, I do sometimes think we "own" too many problems that aren't really ours to own! They are to serve as guidelines we may use to keep us from stepping into some pretty gnarly places we may not want to go in the first place. They serve as barriers in some respects, but maybe the benefit of what we'd gain by removing that barrier isn't really going to outweigh the time, energy, and expense it takes to get rid of it. We need to choose wisely which problems we will get knee high in the muck and mire of in order to "deal with them", while we also remain selective about which ones we just navigate around, knowing full well that they won't impact our progress at all because there is a way to leave them behind without changing the outcome of our forward progress and growth one bit. Just sayin!

Let's fix this problem for good!

Problems have a potential to destroy those who don't get up time and time again with a renewed determination to face them, deal with them, and be finished with them!  We can get pretty down if all we do is focus on the problem.  When we get our focus outside the problem, into the arena of considering the solutions, we have a chance to actually deal with the issues and get it fixed for good.  Yesterday, we looked at the ways we perceive our problems as influencing what we do with them.  When we see them as opportunities for our growth rather than challenges to do us in, we face them differently, don't we?  I heard a friend once say, "Problems have to be handled on a different level than they were created."  That stuck with me all these years - there is more truth in those words than some may think.  As long as we remain firmly rooted in the problem, we have no chance to get free of its hold.  We find the solutions to the problem on a different "level" than they were created.  Maybe this is why God reminds us repeatedly of the need to keep our focus on him - even in the midst of the worst of our problems.

So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.  (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 MSG)

Our number one principle for dealing with problems is our focus.  If we focus on the face of God - we maintain balance and perspective.  When do our "solutions" to our problems get us in the most trouble, giving us more headache or heartache than the original problem?  Isn't it when we get out of balance or lose sight of the issue?  We exert all our energies on this one "fix" which may only "fix" the one side of the issue, but remember - - - all issues have two sides!  Balance is important - and it is best obtained when we allow God to define the "sides" of the problem.  Truth be told, God often leads us into ways of "fixing" the problem which are completely contrary to the ways we would have perceived the problem being fixed.  We need to know it is not so much the "fix" as it is the "right fix" which bring us the relief we so desperately are seeking.

In the midst of our problems, we have a tendency to allow something most of us call "depression" to creep in on us.  It may not meet the clinical definition of depression, but we just get into a real "funk" over the issue.  It gets us "down" and we just don't want to exert the effort any longer to see it fixed. It seems to be getting the "upper hand" in our lives.  So, we fall prey to this idea of "giving up".  We need to be on guard when these feelings of "just giving up" creep in.  These feelings are a powerful tool when we allow them to be paired with any of our other less reliable emotions such as our fear, frustration, or shame.  This feeling of "depression" should be a clear warning sign for us - because it means we either have our focus on the problem, not the solution; or we have our focus on self or other and not on the one capable of solving the problem.  We only move "toward" a solution when our focus is right - we have to deal with this desire to "give up" if we are to ever move beyond the problem.  When the problem begins to take center-stage, it is time to refocus.

Most of the struggle comes when we see the problem as something capable of defeating us.  If you will begin to lay hold of this one truth, it may just help you change your perspective on the problem.  The truth:  God is an all-powerful God, standing ON BEHALF of his children.  As long as I see the truth of God standing ON MY BEHALF, I will face the problem differently.  When I begin to believe the lie that God has abandoned me, or doesn't care about me in the midst of my present trouble, I begin to be eaten alive by the problem! If we'd just realize how much God looks for the opportunities to show himself strong on our behalf, we'd stop trying to invent our own "fixes" for the problems we face!  Even when God has to carry us for a while, he still loves that he can intervene in the midst of our need in this way.  

Some may think I am saying we deny the existence of the gravity or depth of the problem.  Oh, quite the contrary is true.  We don't deny its existence, nor its depth.  But...we need to remember when we focus on its depth, we get deeper into its darkest place!  You cannot get sucked into the depths of the problem and not be a little overwhelmed by all the "darkness" surrounding you in the midst of it!  There are problems which just bring us a huge sense of "darkness" or "clouded" perception.  In the midst of this tough place, we most desperately need to focus on just how close God is to us - for darkness is best faced when someone has the ability to bring light into the darkest place!

Some things I will leave you with today:
- We need to be committed to walking on the right path.  If we are, the problems we face are defined for our growth.  If we aren't, chance are we are making the problems and we will need to do an about-face to find the way out of them!
- In the midst of the problems which are designed for our growth, we need to remain focused on the goodness and greatness of the God we serve.  When we remember he is in control, standing on our behalf, it makes it possible to see the problems differently.
- Problems don't "melt away" - they are worked through.  As we are "working through" those problems, the best place to be is close to the heart of Jesus. As we drawn near to him, he draws nearer to us.  In turn, we sense him more than we sense the problem.  The "fix" is often discovered in the closeness we maintain to the one who "owns the fix" - Jesus.  Just sayin!

You stuck in the maze?

Have you ever heard the saying, “I was going the wrong direction, but I sure was making good time”?  In life, we have a lot of different directions – only one really produces the best outcome - - - all the rest are a poor substitute or just plain wrong.  If you have ever seen a corn maze, you know there are a lot of tall corn stalks growing in the field – some have been removed to make a series of paths for you to traverse through.  In the midst of the tall green stalks, you might get a little twisted around and end up back where you started.  If you have ever seen the “birds-eye” view from a helicopter above, you can see plainly the design of the maze.  You know which turns will end in dead-ends and those which will just loop you around to the same spot you started.  The maze is designed to confound you a little.  Guess what?   Life is designed to confound you a bit at times, too!  There are turns which will dead-end us, sometimes after a whole lot of effort getting there.  There are others which just get us right back to square zero again, wondering how we keep finding our way back to the same things over and over again.

Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have! (Matthew 6:22-23 MSG)

Having the wrong perspective just gives us more darkness to deal with.  Sometimes getting a change in perspective leads to light and light dispels darkness.  Proverbs 4:23 reminds us:  Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts.  The heart is where life starts and often ends.  Get right perspective in your heart and the journey will likely be filled with light.  Keep a wrong perspective and we get all twisted up in life’s maze.  Today, I wanted to spend just a little time looking at how we perceive things.  It may come as a surprise to you, but if we think we are going to go through life problem-free, we are a little deceived.  Somehow, we have bought into some fantasy – a lie.  We cannot escape problems – they have a way of finding us!  A life without problems is indeed a dull life.  Now, if you have had your share of them lately, you are probably going to tell me you’d like a little “dullness” right about now, but hear me out.  Problems are a way for us to grow.  They change our course – alter our thinking, affect our heart, get us deeper into Christ.  Without those problems, you might just wander never learn the lessons of the maze.  You won’t learn to keep perspective – you’ll allow the maze to define your perspective.  If you have ever been deep inside the maze, you can simply look up, find some focal point such as the direction of the sun and navigate from there.  In looking up, you change your perspective!

Scripture tells us if we are faithful with the small stuff, we can get into the thick of the bigger stuff.  This is why our problems may seem to “magnify” a little as we grow up in Christ.  We already have figured out the smaller ones with God’s help and now we are ready for some larger ones.  The little ones prepared us for the bigger ones.  The bigger ones are necessary, because the expand us.  Just as our shoe will eventually expand to the form of our foot, so we become “comfortable” in dealing with some types of problems over and over again.  When we get a new pair of shoes, they may rub, seem a little tight, and even cause us a little discomfort.  We forgot how the “old pair” got to be so comfortable – it was in the wearing they conformed to the shape we became accustomed to and actually felt at ease within.  Our problems rub us the wrong way at first, seem to box us into tight fits we don’t think we can escape, but in time, we begin to see ourselves becoming more comfortable in them.  We don’t give up the new pair of shoes because of the first blister – we put a bandaid on the blister and persevere.  Why?  We know this will become a useful pair of shoes for us in a short matter of time!

In the midst of the problem, we might not really see the solution.  The solution is often a matter of perspective.  When you step back, stopping long enough to just take in the circumstance, you often begin to see there is something you did not notice before.  Why?  It takes a little longer for us to “see” when we are moving and caught up in the “trying” than it does when we just stop long enough to gain a new perspective.  One thing I want to leave you with today – no problem you experience today is ever solved exactly like the problem you faced last week. Each problem is unique – no matter how close it appears to the last.  You can buy two pair of shoes on exactly the same day, exactly the same brand and style – but one pair fits a little different from the other.  Why?  Try as they might, human beings are making these shoes, so they will all be just a little different.  The same is true with our life’s problems – humans are involved, so don’t expect the same issues to be exactly the same!  Just sayin!

Is God meeting you on the "inside"

Ever heard that little verse:  Don't Worry, Be Happy?  Well, try that one on for size and you are likely a little like me - worrying is just a part of life and it is kind of "Pollyanna-like" to just think you can shut it off and "Be Happy".  One thing I know for sure - God wants his kids "happy" - but we get this word "happy" confused with a state of mind or euphoria.  Instead, we need to learn to think of this as a lifestyle - one of being blessed, even in the midst of conflict.  If we consider some of what we have heard to be true about God, we might just begin to see how this is actually possible.  First, he is listening. Now, one of the things which contributes to anxiety more than anything else is the belief no one knows the situation we are in.  It is comforting to know God hasn't forgotten to listen to our needs.  Second, he is ready to rescue.  If we are worrying, we aren't looking for a rescue, but are looking for a way to rescue ourselves!  This may not seem significant at first, but trust me, God's rescue is always going to be better than our own!  Third, God is not remote to our lives - he is right there at the ready.  There is nothing we need more when we are in the frenzy of worry than to "catch our breath".  Who helps us do that better than Jesus?  Last, but definitely not least, God is there EVERY time we need him - all those times we are "in trouble", he is there.  It brings me a great deal of comfort knowing even when I am "in trouble", he is right alongside to help me out of the mess I managed to get myself into!

Is anyone crying for help? God is listening, ready to rescue you.  If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there; if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.  Disciples so often get into trouble; still, God is there every time.  (Psalm 34:17-19 MSG)

I once heard it said that happiness is not based so much on what it is we gain in life, but what it is we lose.  This is definitely contrary to human wisdom, is it not?  Yet, if you stop to consider it, the truth comes through - when we lay down our lives, all our anxieties, we find we are on firmer ground than we were when we were trying to carry it all ourselves!  One of the toughest things we have to do in this life is to "process" life.  Stuff comes at us at speeds which sometimes overwhelm us and cause us not just a little angst.  We get overwhelmed with life.  One of the things we are called to do is to "process" through our problems, not let them pile up one on top of another.  When we allow the "pile up" to occur, the anxiety often rises to the level of being "undone" by life!  We are not asked to "process" our problems on a purely human level - God comes to our aid to assist us in processing through them.

One of the things we need to guard against when life deals us a few problems is the desire to believe what the devil tells us about them.  It is his goal to get us to believe the problems are God's way of "dealing with us" or "getting even with us" for something we have done / not done.  Wow!  This gets us all messed up when we actually believe this story of his!   It gives Satan nothing but extreme pleasure when we begin to blame God for stuff.  One thing we need to remember:  God does not HURT us!  Nowhere in scripture do we find any truth which says God is out to get us, bring us down, or take us down a pathway which will destroy us.  This would be contrary to God's extreme love for his creation.  In fact, if we read our passage again, we see God cares, is totally aware of our circumstances, and wants to help us if we will only give him the chance.

When life gives us challenges, there is a tendency to allow these challenges to affect our heart.  Nothing pleases God more than to give him our hearts so he may keep them safe in his care.  When we give him our heart, we experience a closeness, even in our brokenness.  Nothing heals brokenness better than being close to someone!  No amount of suffering is ours to bear alone.  This is something we need to hear and begin to believe - God doesn't want us to "go it alone".  We remain "in" our pain until we invite God "into" our pain with us.  We ask God to take it away - he asks us to invite him into it.  Now, this may seem a little odd to some, but even in the pain, God has a way of revealing something to us we would not have known otherwise.  So, instead of always asking for the pain to go away, it might do us well to ask God to come into it and do with it as he sees fit!

Keep this in mind:  God seldom moves the way we want him to.  I don't think my limited understanding of life's problems is the best means of dealing with them, but I have a "plan" for God which I often try to "convince" him is the best!  You might just find yourself to do the same thing.  Once we come to the place of seeing today's worries as a means of giving God access to areas of our lives otherwise untouched by him, we might just be surprised at how differently he moves into those "worries" in ways we may not have imagined. Just sayin!

Process Improvement = Problem Solved

Problems:  A matter involving doubt, uncertainty, or difficulty; a question proposed for solution or discussion; an obstacle.  For most of us, life is riddled with all kinds of problems.  Some are easier than others, but they come and go as surely as the wind will come and go.  The issues this week will not likely be the same issues we face next week or the one after that.  They are new, but really most of the problems we face have similar roots - they just put on different appearances.  It is probably pretty hard for us to imagine a problem as an opportunity for growth.  In my line of work, I have a particular role of identifying the problems, assisting the teams to analyze those problems and then attempt to come up with a solution so the problem doesn't arise again.  One thing I have found is the truth of "recurring problems" - some of these issues we "think" we fix today really just come back again and again - the "fix" was just not long-lasting.  It doesn't mean the "fix" wasn't a good one - it just means it may not have been more than a "patch" for the present problem.  Truth be told, "patches" don't work long-term.  We need to grow if we are to get beyond our problems.

By your words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path.  I’ve committed myself and I’ll never turn back from living by your righteous order.  Everything’s falling apart on me, God; put me together again with your Word.  Festoon me with your finest sayings, God; teach me your holy rules.  My life is as close as my own hands, but I don’t forget what you have revealed.  The wicked do their best to throw me off track, but I don’t swerve an inch from your course.  I inherited your book on living; it’s mine forever—  what a gift! And how happy it makes me!  I concentrate on doing exactly what you say—I always have and always will.  (Psalm 119:105-112 MSG)

It may not come as a surprise to you, but bad comes with good.  I would love it if you could just march up to the grocer's aisle and get yourself a whole case or two of "good" each day, totally bypassing the aisle where the "bad" is stocked!  Most of the time, a little "bad" gets into the case of "good" when no one is looking!  So, when you think you are getting "good" in life, you likely get a little thing called a "problem" somewhere along the way.  Problems surface anytime there is an opportunity for growth.  If we begin to see them this way, we might just embrace our problems a little differently.  In fact, we might just begin to see the solution as something quite unique to the "last time" we attempted to solve the problem!  

There is something else I have come to realize in my line of work - people are quite willing to give us their problems!  They don't want them - so they try to pawn them off on someone else!  Have you ever stopped to consider what you have taken on just because someone else did not - or because someone convinced you it belonged with you?  More than likely you have problems you don't even know when or where you got them - they just came to be yours! The fact is - problems require owners.  Ownership of the problem may not always be yours - but others will often convince you you at least play a part in them!  We need to beware of taking on problems which do not rightly belong to us - those things in which we play no part.

There are many responses to problems.  Probably one of the most common is to shift the blame for the problem (and the "fix") to another.  If we can successfully do this, we escape the work!  Issues keep creeping up, though, because the problem never really gets "fixed" until the owner of the problem steps up to take ownership!  Another response is to just pull your head in and hope it goes away.  This is especially true when the problems we face seem to be the recurring type.  We just don't want to "deal" with the issue again, so we bury it.  The ugly truth - buried problems don't go away - they just take root!

For many of us, we focus on the problem and not the process.  In my line of work, we examine process.  It is usually the best means of dealing with the problem.  Process is really a systematic series of actions which lead to some outcome.  When faced with life's problems, we really need some systematic series of actions to "fix" the problems, don't we?  Maybe this is why it is so important to consider the problem in light of what God thinks about it - because our "thinking" is kind of wrapped up in the problem and not the solution.  He sees the solution - and even provides the means by which the solution becomes possible - we just need to take the systematic series of actions he asks in order to see the problem in its true light.

When I come to the table to design processes which address our problems at work, I am looking for the long-range solutions to the problems.  Sure, we want immediate "fixes" and we celebrate these.  Yet, we want the longer, lasting process improvements so the problem stands less of a chance of recurring in the future.  The same is true in our lives - go for the quick fixes and celebrate them, but don't stop there.  Processes have to be set in place to ensure the consistency of the outcome.  When we finally get to the point of doing the same thing and getting the same results, we know the process worked.  Until we reach that point, we "tweak" the process as we need to - all in order to produce the series of actions which will continuously produce the results which reflect the outcome we desired.  

Growth is inherent in each problem.  Instead of burying them and allowing them to take root, maybe it is time we begin to bring them to the table of God's grace and direction.  His "process redesign" may just be the ticket for what will finally deliver the right solution to the problems we face!  Just sayin!

Totally Okay to Complain!

'Come near to God. He's heard your complaints.'

(Exodus 16:9 The Message)

Yesterday, we began to look at the fact that we can turn our complaints from a negative thing into a positive thing - simply by choosing how we choose to use the opportunity of complaining to examine our motivation.  Today, I'd like us to continue in that thought and expand upon it a little.  The people of Israel have been complaining because they are just about out of food - they are hungry!  Truth be told, I complain a little more when I am hungry, too!  There are two lessons I'd like us to see today from this passage.  First, WHO we take our complaints to really does matter.  Second, hunger is a strong motivator.

Moses is faithful to take the concerns of the people to God.  He makes a beeline to the one and only one that he knows will be able to handle the complaint of the people.  Israel has just began to experience the tremendous power of their God (having seen the plagues of Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea).  Now, they will see yet another miracle that will sustain them through their nearly 40 years of wandering through the wilderness.

As he takes their complaints to Lord of Lords, he finds that there is indeed an answer forthcoming.  It would not be something they had seen before.  Their experience would be altered by what God would do for them in providing for their need for food.  Here's the crux of what we usually discover when we take our complaints to God:  Yesterday's known solutions are seldom today's needed solutions.  

We often go about life expecting that what we counted on yesterday will be the exact thing that will bring us through today's fresh challenges.  The fact is, the solution of yesterday MAY work "okay", but it may not be the answer that we need in the here and now!  God has new solutions in mind for his children - when we bring our needs afresh to him, he is able to point out his plans for us that we'd never have considered by relaying on the past solutions.

The second thing is the value of hunger.  Hunger is a strong motivating factor for seeking a new answer from God.  When our hunger is significant enough to look outside of the known solution to a problem, we are open to seeing the greatness of our God on our behalf.  Today's problem is rarely the same as yesterday's - there is usually a different "twist" to it that we may not see apart from the revealing power of God.  Sometimes we are ineffective in overcoming the challenges of today because we don't ask God to show us the way.

Who listens to your complaints?  Is it the right one for the solution that is needed?  There is value in recognizing that our complaints find their greatest opportunity for solution when we bring them to the one who is best equipped to deal with the need behind the complaint!  Let your hunger drive you to find God's newness - don't rely on the old crusts of bread from yesterday when you have the freshness of Manna from Heaven for today!