“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” —Romans 8:28 (NIV)

The other day, I was building an elaborate LEGO set with my son.  I love watching him look intently through the pages of the instruction book and putting the pieces together. However, my impatient little one decided to cut corners on some of the instructions, and he began to get frustrated when some of the pieces would not align as they did in the picture in the book.  He had to bring in the big guns- aka Me. 

I examined the piece that he had made and saw that we needed to backtrack, with the dreaded possibility of having to disassemble the whole thing.  The effort, the time it took to get this far, and now we must turn back, ugh!  As despairing as it was, I set about taking it apart, layer after layer, just to lay what seemed to be a tiny, insignificant piece, which in reality turned out to be the key to aligning everything correctly.

The Lord was teaching me something here.  Success is a series of tiny things coming together.  Even the small daily occurrences that may not seem to have real significance become the pivotal moments for great things. The bible says in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.” Nothing is wasted before the Lord.  The verse said ALL things, not just some things, work together for GOOD to them that love God.  So, no moment is ever truly wasted, and this gives me hope.

As a homeschooling parent, there were times I worried because we didn’t finish a lesson—or times we did, but the laundry didn’t get done. And what about those frustrating moments when my child just wasn’t understanding what we were learning? Even those moments, as hard as they are, can become pivotal moments of growth. Sometimes we needed to backtrack on the steps of a math problem because we missed something. Other times, I had to backtrack on the tone of my voice because I wasn’t communicating well. Nothing teaches humility like parenting and teaching. Yes, in our home, apologies and hugs have been just as essential as pencils and books.

Sometimes we forget that not all learning happens in books. Small moments—like reading the cereal box or signs on the subway—can build literacy, just as reflecting on our flaws can shape our character. There is learning in everything; nothing is ever wasted. God will use it all. He is the ultimate Teacher, weaving purpose into every moment. Trust that He will use it all—for your good and His glory.

LEGO Art Challenge! Find some blocks with your children, we have building to do!

Challenge #1- Build a spaceship.

Challenge #2- Build a bridge.

Challenge #3- Create a new LEGO character and give it a story!