Following directions

I finished two projects on the to do list this past weekend.  I assembled a kitchen cart that our microwave sits on, and I assembled a TV stand.  We sorely needed both, and with my incredible construction knowledge and the eager willingness of two boys to "help" we got them put together.  What I found interesting, besides the terror of a three year old with a hammer, was the difference in directions that came with both.  One set was very detailed, and the other set was basically pictures, letters, and numbers and you were left to your own devices.  So which one do you think was easier to follow?  Actually, they both presented different challenges, and neither one was really easier.
I would have thought that the more detailed directions would make things easier, but sometimes they were too detailed and I found myself skipping over something or not being able to make heads or tails of what they were trying to say.  The directions with pictures, letters, and numbers was a little hard at the start, but once I got the gist of the instructions things went a long smoothly.  A quick aside: as I was assembling the kitchen cart I noticed that they sent me two pairs of right handed hinges and one pair of left handed hinges.  Well, I needed one right and two left.  After a minute, or 10, of using every curse word I could think of...carefully keeping them to myself because little ears were around...I decided to "modify" the hinges.  Yup, I knew better then the directions, and obviously someone messed up the packaging, so I set off to fix it.  Well, after some modifying I took a closer look at the directions and ended up unmodifying the hinges!  I wasn't completely wrong, but I made more work for myself unnecessarily.
Don't we wish life came with a set of directions?  I know I was looking around for the manual when we brought Isaac home for the first time!  If you're like me maybe you think that life would be easier if we had step by step instructions on how to get form here to there.  Well, maybe life could be easier, but do you think we'd follow the instructions carefully enough?  Or would you be like me and find the detailed instructions too easy and find yourself skipping a step or two and ending up starting over again.  Maybe you'd like some general guidelines, but then think you needed to modify somethings in your life because obviously the directions are wrong.  You know what?  We do have a manual for our lives and it is the Bible.  I bet you didn't see that one coming!  The Bible might not be able to spell out for us how we are to act in each and every situation we face.  The Bible might not be able to spell out for us how we raise perfect children, attain the 5 bedroom house and the 3rd car we just drive around in the summer, but the Bible does tell us how we can live a happy and content life.  There is a catch though...You need to read it, and better yet you need to follow the direction the Spirit gives you.  I know, pretty deep thoughts, but if you're searching for direction in your life the Bible is always a good place to turn.  Can you find time to read it?