Things Happen

“I may not believe that ‘All things happen for a reason.’ But I do believe that reason may come from all things that happen.” – Shellen Lubin

Let’s set a scene: It’s 8 AM and you’re stuck in a traffic jam, running late to work. You’re frustrated at being late and thinking if only traffic wasn’t so bad, you would actually be on time. Inch by inch, you continue forward and see the blinking police lights up ahead, forecasting that something potentially bad has happened. Finally, you see why the delay has occurred – someone has been in a car wreck. Suddenly, the frustration you’re experiencing about running late lessens. You realize that if you were a few minutes earlier, you could be the one that the police were helping, instead of just being a few minutes late to work.

There are so many stories of things not happening the way we think they should and it ultimately working to our advantage. I remember the stories of people who were very upset when they missed their flight on September 11, 2001 only to find themselves grateful that they never stepped foot on the plane. We don’t always have the full picture when we get upset about things not going the way we think they should.

When I experience situations like this, I am reminded to be grateful. I’m reminded that, in any given moment, how I think things should go are only based on my limited knowledge in that moment. Things don’t always go the way we want them to go, but should they? Don’t we often get the most perspective or insight when things happen differently than we had imagined?

TODAY’S PROMPT:

Have you experienced a situation that didn’t go the way you thought it should and gained something (insight, perspective, etc.) from the plot twist of the situation? Do you ever remind yourself of this experience when you’re feeling frustrated in similar situations? Share in the comments below.