God has been good to me because I get to do something that I love for my daily bread. I am a professional software engineer, architect, and inventor. I have been doing it for over 25 years. I have worked on a multitude of systems and used more computer programming languages that I can remember. My choice of system and language was almost always dictated by what I had available. If I could access the system and it had any tools on it then I could eventually achieve the customer’s business goal.

However, different systems have different quirks and strengths. The same can also be said of programming languages. Some tools make it easy to execute mathematical calculations yet very hard to perform database operations. Some are good at both but very hard to program on-the-fly. Some are easy to program on-the-fly yet it is nearly impossible to manipulate graphics with the language.

I am no different than any other professional in a hundred different trades. Any professional takes the tools available to him and creates some acceptable solution that is flavored by his choice of tools. His expression of the solution would have been different with different tools available. In other words, the tools flavor the solution but do not deter from the goal. There is a little MacGyver in any experienced professional.

It hit me today that God does the same thing with us. He has a goal in our church, our community, our nation, and our world. He looks at the tools that He has at His fingertips that are ready and willing. One tool doesn’t have to be like another tool. The solution will not be the same when He uses one tool instead of another. But, God is a master craftsman that can craft a solution to achieve His goal with whatever He finds at His fingertips.

— Donnie Bryson