Yesterday, Kemeri had a follow-up appointment with her orthopedic specialists about 1.5 hours away from home. About 45 minutes into the drive, I saw traffic suddenly slowing. Since it was a construction zone, I didn't think much of it. Soon, it became apparent this wasn't the usual slow down as emergency vehicles began pushing their way through the stopped cars (anyone in the right hand lane had to maneuver onto the sloped shoulder so they could get through). After about a half hour, word made its way back that it was a really bad accident & it was believed there was a fatality. At this point, people started turning off their cars & getting out to walk around.
That kind of sobering news puts things in perspective. Instead of being frustrated at being stuck, I was thankful. Thankful to be safe. Thankful that the other kids were home with Daddy. Thankful that most days my van is a rolling locker room, so on this day the wayward toys came in handy for entertaining Miss Kemeri & a wadded up blanket served as a privacy screen for aforementioned princess to tinkle on the side of the road. Thankful that my previous frustration at running 10 minutes late getting on the road proved to be a buffer of blessing between us & a terrible accident.
We ended up being stuck in that spot for 4 hours. In that 4 hours, I stood out in the beautiful sun, had sweet conversations with my girl, & met new people. I actually enjoyed some really nice, genuine conversations with people & was on the receiving end of their generosity. Since we had been running behind getting on the road (we had been at a summer league basketball game Kade was playing in), I opted to grab Kemeri some lunch at one of the exits along our route. However, when we got close to the one I had planned to stop at, I noticed she was asleep, so I figured I'd just wait. So, there I was stuck with a little girl that was ready for lunch when she awoke. One lady gave Kemeri a granola bar, & another teen gave her a fruit snack. Then a group of teens & an adult set out on foot to go get snacks at an exit behind us 1.5 miles away, so they offered to get Kemeri something. I have never been so happy to see a bag of chips, apple slices, & a bottle of water & moved by the willingness of others to be so kind!
The reason I share all of this is that I think God used that circumstance to get my attention. There are times on our journey that we feel stuck, waiting to get to that next thing, but not really knowing what that thing is. We feel like we should be on the move, but we can't seem to go anywhere. It's so easy to become fixated and frustrated with the fact that we're not moving, but in reality, God is moving. He is in the details around us...the sun, the people, the delays...
I could have spent those hours yesterday isolated within my van & grumpy at the situation, but I am glad I didn't but instead, sought to make the best of it. I pray that in the coming days as we await answers to prayers, we seek to trust Him in what we can't see, enjoy the unexpected blessings in the midst of feeling stuck, & recognize Him in the details. Amen.
