Focus on the details

Probably 40 to 45 years ago, I read a book by, I believe, Cho. Since it's been decades since I read this, my memory isn't what it used to be, so details might be fuzzy. Cho was starting a visitation ministry in South Korea so he was walking from village to village visiting different people. He found he was spending way too much time just walking and wasn't getting much visiting done, so Cho began to pray for a bicycle. He prayed and prayed and the thought came to him that he should pray for a specific bicycle, so he chose a Schwinn glider type. He prayed and prayed for this Schwinn glider type bicycle, and as he was praying the thought came up about the color. So he began to pray for a red Schwinn glider bicycle. After a couple weeks of praying, Cho realized he needed to pray for how he wanted the bicycle equipped. He wanted a basket on the front to hold his Bible and tracts and such. He also wanted a seat on the back and foot pegs in case he wanted someone to ride with him. So in the end, he began to pray for a red Schwinn glider with big tires and front basket and seat and pegs for a passenger. Oh, yea, and a horn, one of those little tootie horns. In the end, Cho ended up getting that exact bicycle. Too often we don't focus on the particulars but slide by with generalizations. You can have two articles with one being on the general principle and one that goes beyond the generalizations to the particulars, and I'll pick the one on particulars most every time.

Marge has focused down on her cooking a beef roast. She takes a 5- to 7-pound beef roast that has been frozen and slowly thaws it out. She never nukes it to thaw out. She starts by letting it sit in the sink for 10 to 12 hours then into the refrigerator, where it may take two or three days to thaw. She preps the roast by repeatedly poking a knife down in the roast on both sides to open up the middle of the roast to seasoning. She then puts seasoning on it, such as strawberries or garlic salt or meat tenderizer or Worcestershire or other seasonings. Marge then puts the seasoned roast back in the refrigerator for 24 hours to just sit there. Then into the oven at 250 degrees with no lid until the meat is 165 degree internally. Then she either wraps it in foil or covers the roaster and finishes cooking until the internal temp is around 205 degrees. Fork tender and juicy and delicious. It's the details that make a difference.

Years ago when we lived in Kentucky, a person I knew needed some carpentry work done, so we met and discussed what he wanted done. In my mind it was pretty easy to see what needed replaced and what just needed patched. Trouble was his view of what needed fixed and replaced was totally different from mine. So after working for several weeks, we arrived at a crucial point of what do we do now? He wasn't pleased. I walked away without making a cent simply to remain friends. I should have required details as to what to repair and what to replace. I should have gotten the details in writing. I didn't.

I love to fish for about any fish. Walleye or pike or catfish or bullheads or crappie or whatever. Down here as the water warms up into the low 60s, the crappie will begin to spawn. So where do they spawn and at what depth? Charlie Rogers, maybe 30 to 40 years ago, said take a paper plate that is about 10 inches around and divide the plate into four quarters. Now paint the opposite two quarters black. Lower this plate into the water and no matter how clear the water or murky when you can't tell the black quarters from the white the crappie should spawn at about that depth. It's the details that matter.

No matter what you are doing, get the details.