Last week was a trying seven days for me. There were a few circumstances that peeked their heads at me that were totally unexpected and I was left with the decision of how I was going to act and respond to my feelings and emotions as a result of them.
You know all too well what I’m talking about, I’m sure. Your good friend says something to you that hurts your feelings and you feel super mad and frustrated and feel the need to get some justice… You get in an argument with your coworker due to a lack of communication and then have to sit through the rest of the day in awkward silence… You notice your clothes are fitting a little bit tighter than they did two weeks ago and you are contemplating “fasting” for the following two weeks or lose control and start eating everything in sight.
By Thursday morning I found myself pulled over on the side of the interstate for the 2nd time of the week because my car was overheating. Frustration, sadness and lack of hope snuck into my soul. I think for the first time in my life I FELT my singleness – I felt like a total girl and helpless, needing a man’s perspective on what in the world to do with my 12 year old car. I’m quite the independent person, more than I would like to admit, and cars are my weakness. I know hardly anything about them much less how to fix them, and so on Thursday when it was no longer driveable and overheating, I was . . . sad. But I knew I had to make some decisions, and make them quickly.
So, before I endulged myself in my emtions, I called AAA to get my car towed, told Jerry I was going to be late to work, got all my belongings together and then waited for the tow truck to arrive.
No more than 20 minutes later the tow truck man whizzed around the corner. My frustrated self in my emotional state hopped into the truck. This man didn’t seem to notice that I did not want to talk and proceeded to ask me a ton of questions. Did he not know that I was in a crisis, panicking about money and the possibility of having to buy a new car?
Suddently, my gut told me to engage in conversation with “tow truck man” and get over myself. I sensed that God wanted to speak to him and He wanted me to be a part of it if I wanted to join Him.
UGH.
By the grace of God something shifted in my Spirit and I began to engage in conversation. By the time we arrived at the dealership, this man shared some hard things he was going through and I found myself asking if I could pray for him. Nothing glorious happened during the prayer – I just remember thinking to myself, God I hope you are speaking to this guy because I certainly don’t know that he is appreciating this right now.
When he dropped me off, he got out of the car, gave me a big hug and with tears in His eyes said that He has never felt God like that before in his life!
WHAT!?! Can you believe it? How cool is that!
My car breaking down wasn’t a time for me to feel sorry for myself; it was an opportunity to tell someone that God loves them and has huge plans for their life!
Earthly circumstances are so not meant for us to get all hung up on or throw us into an emotional rollercoaster. Many times God is orchestrating beautiful moments for us . . . if we could just get the eternal perspecitve rather than the earthly one.
I’m trying to get better at it. I encourage you to do the same!
Go get it! God’s ready to take you on an adventure!
