Off to a good start
My morning began early, or what is early for me. I was up and moving towards a breakfast meeting with plenty of time to spare.
On my way out the door, I took some time to stop and read my devotional for the day. In part, it read,
This week we focus on prayer as intimate communication with God. As with any human relationship, we need to spend time together for that relationship to grow and deepen. Human relationships have different moments of greater and lesser intimacy – so, too, with God. Sometimes we are chatty, other times silent. Sometimes it’s easy spending time with God; other times it’s more difficult or taxing. There is no single way of relating to God, but as long as we are open, our relationship with God can grow in profound, sometimes unexpected ways.
Heading down the driveway God and I were “chatty.” Life was good, I was ahead of schedule, felt good and my day was off to a great start.
Going
Ahead of schedule, I stopped at the local convenience store to get a paper. They did not have the paper I was looking for. A disruption, but I was not going to let this get in the way of what was going to be a great day!
Going
I climbed into my truck and turned the key…nothing. The battery sounded strong yet my engine would not start. I tried multiple times and still nothing, the engine was dead. I finally resolved myself to missing my meeting and called those I was supposed to meet, “sorry, I will not be making it today.”
GONE!
A few minutes later I was talking with my roadside service company. What was a frustrating experience was quickly becoming aggravating. I ended up talking to three representatives before someone could help me. In that moment I was far from the joyful and “chatty” person who drove down my driveway a few short minutes ago. We finally arranged for someone to come get my truck.
A quick call to Nancy and she was on her way to pick me up. How quickly my great day had changed into something very different.
Can I get a restart?
Stranded in the parking lot I decided to give the truck one last chance to turn over on its own. Imagine my shock when it roared to life when I turned the key. Call Nancy, have her meet me at the service station. Spend another ten minutes with my roadside assistance people trying to cancel my service call. I pulled into the service station and emotionally I was all over the place. Here it was not even eight thirty in the morning and I felt like I had been through a very long, difficult day.
Following a quick conversation with my mechanic, I left the truck in his capable hands.
Still More?
I borrowed Nancy’s car and headed home. My plan was to work from home so it was time to take a deep breath and get things back on track. Pulling into the driveway I noticed the red plastic from a tail light strewn across the driveway. While parking my truck last night I had “bumped” one of the trash cans. I did not even bother to look because it was such a light touch and there was no way I could have done any damage. The plastic laying in my driveway pointed in another direction.
How could this day get any better?
A few minutes later I got a call from my oncologist’s office. Somehow we had mixed up medications with my pharmacy. There was miscommunication and misunderstanding. In order for things to get resolved, it was going to take multiple phone calls and explanations by multiple people.
Life happens
Sitting in my study I returned to my devotional of the morning. Prayer is intimate communication with God. Even when we are focused on living and moving in a way where we are open to that intimate communication with God…life can happen. Life can come at us, throw things in our path that cause us to take our eyes off of Abba Father.
Our challenge
My challenge, our challenge is to remain prayerful even when the chaos and craziness of life is swirling around us. I wish I could say that while sitting in my truck, frustrated with my roadside assistance service I was in a place of prayer, I was not. The reality of my experience and the emotions of the moment were pulling me away from intimate communication with God.
It was not until later until I was settled in my study that I could see what was going on.
May God grant me (us) the ability to walk amongst the chaos, ever mindful of the intimate communication of God.
When chaos reigns and your world starts to spin out of control, may the Spirit grant you peace and the ability to see beyond and thru the chaos to the peace that passes all understanding.
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