Shift Your Thinking
*If you’d rather watch or listen, click here.
Yesterday I got in my van to finish a job I had started earlier in the day and of all things, I got a message that said ‘Service Shifter.’ What? I was in a hurry and confused and ready to get on my way, when I realized that the shift knob wouldn’t turn. The letters that were usually lit up above it - PRNDL - were dark.
What in the world? I shut the van off, thinking there was no reason to waste gas if I wasn’t going anywhere. I started to Google the message along with the make and model of my vehicle. After learning how to manually get it into neutral, I made a few calls to see if anyone I knew could help.
Nope, the two vehicle places I trust to work on my car had never heard of this particular problem before. I kinda chuckled to myself. This is interesting.
Apparently, I had been running through life and needed to take some time to look around.
Life has been especially busy lately. I know I’ve overbooked myself, but I’ve also been surprised at what I can accomplish when I just make the effort to start. It doesn’t matter what it is, the starting part is always the hardest. If you think about it long enough, you can talk yourself out of trying just about anything.
But when I actually put forth some effort, telling myself I’ll work on whatever it is for ten or fifteen minutes, I’m shocked at the progress I make.
But back to the problem
So, back to the van issue. I was happy with myself that I took it all in stride. Things like this could easily have caused a meltdown a few years back. But instead, I looked at it differently. Since I was stuck in my car with nowhere to go, I prayed. I asked for help to get the van moving again. Pretty soon, my husband showed up and off we went, leaving the van for the night. I may have forgotten to pray about getting the van moving right then, at that moment.
Since some time has passed now, I’m looking at this differently. Was there something I was supposed to learn? Do I need to slow down, not trying to tackle so many things at once? Was it a push to write about it in my blog this week? Because honestly, before I write each blog, I pray asking God to guide my thoughts and my fingers as I type. Was this the message I was supposed to send out into the world?
Or, if we want to get really deep, was I saved from an accident because my car wouldn’t shift into Drive?
What sort of stretch would it take for you to bless your circumstances, including your problems?
Our life is far from perfect. We’re in a new season and maneuvering around situations we aren’t familiar or comfortable with. It’s not bad, it’s just different. It seems we’re leaning on each other a lot more lately, and that’s good.
But it’s always been hard for me to trust that I’m in exactly the spot I should be, right now. There’s always another hill I want to climb so that I achieve my next goal. Maybe I need to slow down and enjoy where I am.
Trusting and blessing your situation, no matter what it might be, is hard. In my mind, there’s a reason for everything and I’m not the one in charge, although I like to think I am. Perhaps I’m getting a lesson in patience or perseverance.
Whatever the reason for the vehicle issue, today, when we went back to see if anything had changed, everything was back to normal. Trust does not come easily. But being open to change and looking for the lesson has made a world of difference in my life.