The Silver Lining

          So, I’ve been on an “adventure” lately and am trying to figure out what lessons are coming from these experiences. My car has been giving me all kind of trouble. You know, the kind of trouble where no one can figure out what is wrong or how to fix it. Then they are convinced that it is fixed and your car refuses to leave work at the end of the day. So, you learn a lot about the local tow truck drivers, their families, and their business endeavors. Yeah, that kind of adventure.

But, I’ve figured out a few things from this “adventure.” And I figured that those lessons would make a great blog post. So here it goes:

1.       People ultimately are cool: I have had person after person offer to help me out for the past month. From giving me rides to work, to offering to bring me groceries, to meeting me at the mechanic with hot chocolate and a peanut butter cookie and better yet… a hug. I think that we all get into our day to day routines and forget that we are all interconnected and that we need each other.

2.       A supportive family is a blessing: From the first phone call saying that I was stranded, to the hysterical second phone call, to the defeated third phone call, my family has been there for me. The Mom willing to drive 2 hours after a long day at work, the Dad who is trying to search his brain for what could possibly be wrong with the car and helps you find and purchase a new car, and the Grama who is just going to replace the car that is doing you wrong. Not a lot of people have such a strong supportive family and I am so thankful that I do.

3.       Money can be a pretty big deal, but it shouldn’t have control: This one is pretty self-explanatory, but don’t let money have power over you. That’s a bad idea.

4.       Sometimes it isn’t your lesson to learn: Someone pointed out to me that the car trouble might not exist because of a lesson that I need to learn. Maybe someone needed to know that I depended on them. Maybe someone needed another person to talk to. Maybe they needed me to not be on the road as they were driving. Maybe they needed to see how to trust God in any situation. Maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t about me.

Now, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I am thankful for this whole “adventure,” but I will strive to discover all of the lessons to come out of it. Because if you’ve got a situation, it’s worth your time to find the silver lining.