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The sound system in my wife's SUV was bad when we bought the vehicle two years ago. The radio acted up. Two of the speakers were blown. It hadn't gotten any better since then. It was a mess.

So during the Christmas break, I did something I should have done a long time ago and decided to upgrade the radio, fix the speakers and install a back-up camera. I’d never done anything like that before, but I’m generally pretty good with electronics and thought I’d give it a shot.

I extensively researched different radios, cameras and features. I literally watched hours of YouTube videos about the installation process. I gathered some tools and ordered what I needed. I was ready.

Until I wasn’t.

It turns out the gulf between watching someone do something on YouTube and doing it yourself is significant. I wired up the new radio and turned on the car, bracing for mind-blowing sound. Instead, I fell into a pit of silence. The radio didn’t even power up.

Faced with a dash vomiting wires everywhere, I was stuck. I had no idea what to do. There was no YouTube video to save me. Googling “Help!” proved less than effective.

As we embark on 2018, each of will likely find ourselves in this position at some time, especially if we’re trying to make significant life changes. Despite our best efforts, we won’t arrive at our anticipated destination. The outcome isn’t what we hoped. The journey has left us questioning what to do.

We see that all the time in the families we serve through the Buckner Family Hope Centers. They start a journey toward self-sufficiency, then they hit a roadblock. It might be getting laid off. It might be a car breaking down. It might be an unexpected expense. And they’re at a crossroads of what to do.

Fortunately, they can do what I did: Call on support. I called the audio company’s technical support line and they knew exactly what to do. It turns out I forgot to connect three little wires that delivered power to the radio. Once I hooked them together, the radio was off and working.

Family coaches at Family Hope Centers provide the same expertise. They’ve seen families go through a variety of situations and provide the precise help families need when they need it. Sometimes, it’s a small change – like my wires – that leads to a drastic change. Othertimes, the advice is more significant.

As you embark on your new year, who can you call on to provide the advice and support you’ll need in 2018? I pray that you hear it when you need it – as clearly as my wife can hear the music through her new system.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes upon Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. –Hebrews 12:1-2

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