AS LABOR DAY APPROACHED LAST YEAR, I WAS BONE-TIRED.
FINANCES WERE TIGHT,
AND WE HADN'T TAKEN A VACATION IN SOME TIME,
SO I ASKED GOD IF HE COULD OPEN A DOOR.
I PRAYED AND I WAITED.
A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, A FRIEND MENTIONED
THE PEOPLE WHO'D BOOKED THEIR CONDO
MIGHT BE CANCELING THEIR RESERVATION.
IF THEY DID, HE WANTED ME TO USE IT.
WELL, THAT NIGHT I PRAYED,
"IF THIS WOULD BE A GOOD THING, LORD, PLEASE OPEN THE DOOR,
"AND IF NOT, SLAM IT CLOSED."
WELL, THE FOLLOWING MORNING,
MY FRIEND CALLED AND SAID IT WAS ALL MINE.
I WAS SO EXCITED. I WOULD BE RELAXING FOR A WEEK,
RENT-FREE, NO MAKEUP, NO HIGH HEELS.
JUST T-SHIRTS AND A BALL CAP.
MY HUSBAND BARRY HAD SOME THINGS TO TAKE CARE OF AT HOME
AND OFFERED TO STAY WITH THE DOGS
WHILE I RESTED AND PRAYED.
HE KISSED ME GOODBYE AS I SET OFF THE FOLLOWING MORNING.
AN HOUR INTO THE JOURNEY, THINGS BEGAN TO GO WRONG.
THE AIR CONDITIONING IN MY CAR QUIT
ON A DAY STRETCHING INTO THE HIGH 90S.
I TURNED THE DIAL TO THE MAX TO SEE IF IT MIGHT KICK BACK IN,
BUT IT DIDN'T.
I TURNED IT OFF AND KEPT DRIVING,
BUT AFTER AN HOUR, SWEAT DRIPPED OFF MY FOREHEAD INTO MY EYES,
SO I ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOWS,
HOPING FRESH AIR WOULD DRY ME OUT.
AND IT DID UNTIL THE STORM HIT.
THE SKY DUMPED BUCKET AFTER BUCKET OF HOT WATER,
AND BEFORE I COULD ROLL UP MY WINDOW, I WAS SOAKED.
TRAFFIC CAME TO A STOP,
AND THE CARS TURNED ON THEIR HAZARD LIGHTS.
I ALTERNATED BETWEEN WINDOWS DOWN
WITH LARGE BUCKETS OF WATER COMING IN,
AND WINDOWS UP AND LARGE BUCKETS OF SWEAT POURING DOWN.
NINE HOURS LATER, I ARRIVED,
SOAKING WET AND TIRED BUT STILL EXCITED
ABOUT THE NEXT DAY TO RELAX.
THE FOLLOWING MORNING, I BREWED SOME COFFEE
AND I DROVE STRAIGHT TO THE LOCAL DRUGSTORE
FOR SOME SUNDRIES.
LESS THAN AN HOUR LATER,
I FOUND A DESERTED AREA OUTSIDE
AND SITUATED MY NEW BEACH CHAIR AND BELONGINGS.
PARADISE! BUT AS SOON AS MY BODY HIT THE CHAIR,
IT COLLAPSED, LITERALLY, ON TOP OF ME
AND I WAS TRAPPED, LITERALLY TRAPPED.
APART FROM A LARGE DOG THAT BOUNDED OUT OF NOWHERE
AND KEPT LICKING MY FEET,
I COULDN'T SEE ANYONE ELSE IN THE DISTANCE.
I COULDN'T FIGURE HOW TO GET OUT OF MY PREDICAMENT.
BY THE TIME I DUG MYSELF OUT,
MY LEGS WERE BRUISED AND SCRAPED,
AND IT STARTED TO RAIN, NOT JUST RAIN, BUT STORM!
MY CANINE FRIEND WAGGED HIS TAIL
AND I LEFT HIM THE SOGGY TOWEL
BEFORE I HEADED BACK TO THE CONDO.
THE WEEK WAS NOT GOING AS PLANNED,
AND AFTER ANOTHER STRING OF MISHAPS,
WHICH WOULD TAKE FAR TOO LONG TO DESCRIBE,
I DECIDED TO ABANDON THE TRIP
AND DRIVE HOME THROUGH THE STORM
IN MY INCAPACITATED CAR.
BARRY MET ME AT THE DOOR WITH A SYMPATHETIC HUG
AND A LARGE STACK OF TOWELS.
NOTHING HAD TURNED OUT THE WAY I THOUGHT IT WOULD.
IT HADN'T BEEN THE WORST EXPERIENCE IN LIFE,
AND IT CERTAINLY WASN'T THE END OF THE WORLD,
BUT IT HAD DEFINITELY BEEN DISAPPOINTING.
DON'T YOU FIND IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS
THAT PUSH YOU OVER THE EDGE?
YOU KNOW, YOU COPE WITH THE HARDER THINGS IN LIFE,
AND THEN THE DRYER BREAKS WHEN YOU NEED TO GET LAUNDRY DONE
AND YOU END UP CRYING A BUCKET OF TEARS.
OR YOUR CHILD DOESN'T GET THE PART IN THE SCHOOL PLAY
THAT SHE HOPED FOR,
OR YOUR FRIEND CANCELS PLANS TO HAVE COFFEE
JUST WHEN YOU REALLY NEEDED TO TALK.
NONE OF THIS IS LIFE-ALTERING,
BUT IT'S DISAPPOINTING AND CAN CATCH US OFF GUARD.
WHEN I FIND MYSELF STRUGGLING
WITH THESE KINDS OF DISAPPOINTMENTS,
I CHOOSE TO HEAR JESUS ASK ME
THE QUESTION HE ASKED MARY MAGDALENE
ON THAT RESURRECTION MORNING, AS SEEN IN JOHN 20:15,
"WHO ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?"
WHEN WE LOOK FOR JESUS
IN THE MIDDLE OF WHAT'S NOT WORKING,
WE DISCOVER HE'S ALWAYS THERE, BRINGING PEACE AND COMFORT.
WE CAN SIT WITH HIM FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES
TO BE REMINDED OF WHAT'S ALWAYS TRUE,
NO MATTER WHAT MIGHT BE TRUE FOR A MOMENT.
HE LOVES US. HE IS WITH US. HE IS HERE.
LET ME PRAY FOR YOU.
FATHER, THANK YOU SO MUCH THAT YOU HAVE PROMISED US YOUR PEACE
IN THE MIDST OF ALL OF LIFE'S STORMS.
I PRAY RIGHT NOW FOR ANYONE WHO'S LISTENEING,
WHO'S WATCHING WHO FEELS AS IF THE STORM WILL NEVER END.
I ASK THAT A FRESH SENSE OF YOUR PEACE WOULD REST ON THEM,
AND THAT IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL LIFE'S STORMS
WE WOULD BE LOOKING FOR YOU.
IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN.