Blessings in Everything

What we count the ills of life are often blessings in disguise, resulting in good to us in the end. Though for the present not joyous but grievous, yet, if received in a right spirit, they work out fruits of righteousness for us at last.  Matthew Henry

I had a blowout this weekend.  I’ve had flats before but never a blowout.  You want to feel out of control, a blowout will do it.  I had gone to a farmer’s market with my parents and on my way back to their house my tire blew.  The noise it makes as it happens makes you think all the wheels are falling off of your car. 

I am driving on a major freeway and the steering wheel started vibrating and then this loud noise and a piece of rubber the width of my tire and about two feet long flipped up under my wheel well and flew out the back of the car.  I am thankful it didn’t hit anyone behind me.  I swerved to the right shoulder and pulled to a stop.  I walked around to the passenger side of my car to see the damage.  The piece of rubber had flipped up into the wheel well and knocked the gasket off my windshield wiper fluid container so there is liquid all over the ground.  The rubber knocked a piece of my running board off and it was hanging off and there was a flap under the wheel well that was hanging loose. 

My Dad and Mom were several minutes behind me so when they drove by I was on the side of the road.  My Dad turned around to come back and help me change my tire.  In reality my Dad changed my tire and I was there for moral support. As we were on the side of the road I was praying that the eighteen wheelers and cars flying by wouldn’t hit us.  After my Dad changed the tire, my parents followed me to the tire store so I could get a new tire. 

What does this have to do with anything related to a blessing?  This is the way I look at things that happen in life.  The reality is we are going to have trials in life.  If I search for the blessing in this circumstance this is what it looks like.  Blessing #1.  My drive to work every day is around 30 miles.  One area of my drive is over what I call a high-rise overpass.  There is barely a shoulder on the overpass and it is about 200 feet tall.  If I had the blowout on that section of highway the chances of me getting hit and knocked off the overpass are very likely.  I call it a blessing that I had the blowout where I did.   Blessing #2.  When we got to the tire store I had called my husband to let him know where I was and what happened.  We discussed that I should probably get two tires since the other one was getting low on tread.  I drive an SUV so the tires for my car are worth more than gold.  You would think that for what they charged me for them.  So $474 later I am the proud owner of two new tires.  I call it a blessing that I had the resources to buy two tires. Blessing #3.  I had the opportunity to sit with my parents and visit while we waited for the tires to be replaced.  This blessing alone was worth the blowout. 

Trials are going to happen in our lives.  God intends the trials to bring blessings if we view them from a heavenly perspective. 

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, thank you for helping me to understand what James 1:2-8 means from Your perspective.  We are to count it all joy when we fall into various trials.  If I count my trials all joy, then my joy in You will be tenfold when you pour out your blessings on my life.  I praise You for showing me the blessings in the midst of my trials.

Scripture:  My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.  James 1:2-8