There’s an old adage, “there’s more than one way to skin a cat.” Mark Twain used this version in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court in 1889: “she was wise, subtle, and knew more than one way to skin a cat”, that is, more than one way to get what she wanted. An earlier appearance is in ’Way down East; or, Portraitures of Yankee Life by Seba Smith of about 1854: “This is a money digging world of ours; and, as it is said, ‘there are more ways than one to skin a cat,’ so are there more ways than one of digging for money”. From the way he writes, the author clearly knew this to be a well-known existing proverbial saying.
Some writers have pointed to the use of this phrase in the southern states of the US in reference to the catfish, often abbreviated to cat, a fish that is indeed usually skinned in preparing it for eating. However, it appears that with multiple versions of the saying, its wide distribution and age, there are many ways to apply it but in general it means that for every situation there are multiple ways of achieving objectives or accomplishing tasks.
Today’s thought is that God has more than one way to bless us. The scripture encourages us to “delight ourselves in Him and He will give us the desires of our heart.” (Psalm 37:4) Somehow we do the delighting but then we meddle in the methods we “think” God should use to give us what He has planned. What I’ve found to be amazing is that God continuously gives us what we need for each season and in the midst of the changing needs, He gives us what we desire at the same time but often in totally different ways. If you took the time to list your desires, you would see how He supported them but you would also see that in each season, He supported them differently. Perhaps it was because He had the vision to see what was most important at the time. Perhaps it was because He knew what you could handle at the time. Perhaps it was not even about you but rather that someone else be blessed through your circumstance and your blessing in the midst was residual.
God is simply amazing. His ways and His thoughts are far beyond our greatest comprehension. Do your very best to stay open to the move of God in your life. It’s so easy to get discouraged and to lose focus. Go back to the various seasons in your life (especially if you’ve been faithful to God), and see how He has given you more than one what you needed but often what you desired. I’m sure when you look back you’ll see that although it wasn’t the way you envisioned Him meeting the need or fulfilling the desire-GOD DID IT!!!!
Recognize that our omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent God can do what He wants to when He wants to because He is sovereign. Quit boxing Him into your limited way of thinking your desires should be fulfilled. Our God is THE WAY and as such, has MORE THAN ONE WAY………Trust Him Today!!!!!