Flat Tires

This past weekend my volleyball team traveled on a charter bus to California for the weekend. On the way there a tire on the bus blew out and we ended up being stuck in a hot bus on the side of the road for over 3 and a half hours with only snack food. Needless to say, it was frustrating and not a whole lot of fun and we ended up being very late for our game that night.

But something else happened this weekend… a football team from South Carolina was traveling on a charter bus and their tire also blew out. However, their bus wasn't able to pull over safely to the side. They got in an accident and 4 people lost their lives while 42 others were injured and left without those teammates, brothers, and friends.

It was all too easy to complain about our own flat tire in the moment, but when I heard about this story, those complaints became utterly selfish. My heart aches for that team and those players; I cannot imagine the feelings they are going through.

But man am I entirely grateful our flat tire on Friday didn’t turn into something worse. Here’s the thing: It is all too easy to forget about all the things God is protecting us from…even if it is in ways that we cannot see.  Everyday struggles may sometimes be how God protects you from a lifetime of a deeper struggle.

Find the blessings that sometimes seem to be hiding.

 So next time something comes up, like a flat tire, that gets in your way and slows down your busy day…Remember that little thing could be God’s way of protecting you from something else. That flat tire could have been a deadly accident. At the end of day, God is with you, He’s protecting you, and He brought you home safely. It is those little things, that really are huge things in our lives that we should be so, so grateful for. Go to bed grateful tonight, and remember all the ways God has blessed you and protected you today.

“From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.” –John 1:16