Rolling Through Life on Two Flat Tires

Some days are just rough days.  We're trying to go about our business and do the Lord's will.  Despite our fatigue and frustration, we're doing our best to remain positive and upbeat.  But sometimes, it just doesn't work out so well for us.  Such was the case for my poor, sweet hubby on Monday.

After our long weekend trip, he started back to work bright and early Monday morning.  His day included several errands, a lot of driving, and mechanical work on the new carpet-cleaning van the company he works for is assembling.  Unfortunately, only some of that work got accomplished because as he was making his way toward one of the errands, the tire on his work trailer blew out.

Frustrated and not having the proper tools to change the tire, he made several phone calls to track down someone who could take him the necessary tools.  After replacing the blown tire with the spare, he climbed back into the vehicle and started up the road again.  Would you believe he had gone only another mile or two when the tire on the other side blew out?  I mean, seriously!

At this point, he had no other spare tire. (Most people don't carry around two because what is the likelihood that you would need two at the same time?)  Fortunately, he was near a junkyard that had tires for sale.  After much back and forth getting the "new" tire on, Jason jumped in the vehicle and did what he could to salvage the day, but it wasn't easy.

Do you ever have days where you feel like you're driving through life on two flat tires?  Everything you attempt blows up in your face.  Nothing works as it should.  Everything takes far longer than it's supposed to.  You're giving it all you have, but nothing seems to want to cooperate with your efforts.  I don't know about you, but days like that make me want to crawl back in bed, pull the covers over my head, and say, "Well, I tried, but I guess it isn't meant to be.  I'll try again tomorrow."

Difficult days!  We all have them, and we all need to find a way, like Jason, to get through them.  How do we salvage days that start off bad and keep getting worse?  Better yet, how do we recover our attitudes in the midst of such days?  The answer is blindingly simple though I admit that it isn't always easy.  We pray.  That's it?  Yes, that's it.  (I told you it sounded simple.)

In the midst of frustrating, aggravating circumstances, our flesh likes to take over, so it's imperative that we stay in touch with God.  We need to seek His face, His care, and His counsel.  We should ask for grace and strength to make the most of the day despite the struggles we've had thus far.  And I know this may sound a bit disrespectful, but we can even voice our anger and frustrations--not at God, but to God.  He can take it.  In fact, He's the only one who can listen to us vent out our anger and not become offended.  And just getting it all out in the open will help us feel so much better, as long as we don't dwell on the problem longer than we dwell on the Solution.

Having a bad day?  I understand.  Feel like going back to bed and trying again tomorrow?  Oh, yeah, I hear you.  But I urge you, before you give up on the day, try giving it to God.  Plead for His grace and strength.  Seek comfort in His warm embrace.  Spend some time with the One who cares and the One who can brighten any day, no matter how dark!

Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually. - I Chronicles 16:11