DIY: Worst Idea Ever?

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, my younger brother and my father spent a lot of time talking about putting a bathroom in the guest house my parents have in their backyard. Dad has hired someone to come and dig the necessary holes, they just need someone who can set up the plumbing. Most of the discussion consisted of my brother trying to convince my dad that he does not need to hire a plumber, he can do it himself and save a lot of money. I think they are crazy. My brother is in construction, but he is not a plumber, neither is my dad. I can just see it now, going to their house for the holidays year after year and always being instructed not to use the guest house bathroom because it is broken. I think there is a reason why plumbers get paid to do such work.

As a red-blooded American men, asking for help is not our strongest suit. Although I am very social, I often like to be capable of doing things on my own too. There have been times in school when I choose to do a project alone instead of doing one with the help of a group. Usually this occurs because I want to follow my own ideas and not someone else’s. I think the Internet may have affected this weakness negatively because I no longer have to go to other people as much to seek knowledge. Most things that I might need to know, I can learn online. 

Mark 11 recorded kind of a funny miracle that Jesus performed. He seemed frustrated when a fig tree did not have any fruit, so he cursed it. The next day they were amazed to see that the tree had withered. Peter called Jesus’ attention to the tree, then Jesus replied to him by saying “have faith in God.” Then Jesus taught them about asking and believing.

Most of the believing we tend to do stops with us. May be we believe in ourselves (which is why one might decide to go the DIY route), yet where does God fit into the equation? Although I may intellectually acknowledge God in certain sober moments, I think I tend to underestimate God’s role on a daily basis. In reality, life is not a DIY job.