Throw a Monkey Wrench into It
Please welcome one of my favorite authors, Ann H. Gabhart, as today’s guest writer. Ann has been called a storyteller. She’s lived up to the title with thirty-five books published and more stories on the way. Ann keeps her keyboard warm out on her farm where she likes walking with her dogs or discovering the wonders of nature with her nine grandchildren. To find out more about Ann and her books, go to www.annhgabhart.com.
Have you ever heard the expression “throw a monkey wrench into it?” That means to sabotage or frustrate a project or plan. The saying came from early 1900s industrial sabotage–that is, throwing a tool inside machinery–to make the machine break or stop working.
Where various products were once made one at a time by craftsmen, the industrial revolution factories had machines to mass produce items. Companies started competing for customers. Some knocked out competition by sneaking in to throw an actual wrench into the workings of the competitor’s industrial machines. With the machine broken, production came to a halt.
Now throwing a wrench into something can apply to any kind of ruined plans or projects. The current pandemic has thrown a wrench into a lot of our plans. Sometimes we can do nothing to fix things. We simply have to move on, plan something new or adjust to whatever has happened.
One thing for sure, the Lord will never throw a monkey wrench into your plans unless He has a better plan in mind for you.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV).
Photo by Matt Artz on Unsplash.
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We all have our ups and downs.
I watched an old friend bite the dust last week. He had greeted me faithfully every day for years. 
Like the circles inside his trunk, so goes 
Have you noticed how often we change our lives? We try to improve ourselves, other people, or our possessions. A desire to improve can be a wonderful idea. However, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. (I apologize for the poor grammar, but that is the way we say it.)
Many in the world have faced difficult circumstances in recent days. A few describe their situation as the pits.
Like several animals (and a few people) dogs can be dangerous when suddenly wakened. Therefore, we usually let sleeping dogs lie. We leave them alone to sleep in peace.
Many of us live with cold feet. We don’t need winter, snow, or freezing rain. Our feet stay cold any time of year in any kind of weather.
Many times we feel like we are drowning in a sea of responsibility. The storms of life hit. We have too much to do with too little time or energy to do it. Yet, we keep on keeping on.
Other storms remain with us.
They choose a slower, more relaxed lifestyle.
Anthony Salyers demonstrates the work of an old-time blacksmith shop during