A few months ago my son-in-law had problems with the car he was driving from a suburb into the city. It had to be towed in for repeated repairs before the issue was fixed. He could not miss work on those days. There was no public transportation that took him to his destination. His oldest daughter offered her car and in turn had to find a way to get to her college classes and meet obligations she had scheduled. Another time my daughter chimed in to help lending him her car. It meant the whole family was shifting to resolve the situation.
Most problems take creative thinking to resolve and this was one of them. When we have financial problems, it is commonly said that we borrow from “Peter to pay Paul”. When we are ill, we cancel plans until we feel well again. Life calls us to be flexible and adapt.
We learn to adapt when the coffee pot breaks, the air conditioner stops sending cold air throughout the house, or the patient forgets to show up. Sometimes these things curtail our expectations for the day, but then offers something better. We get a better appliance, find a short in the electrical system that potentially saves our home, or frees us up to do paperwork. Good things, more than less, will lead to improvements. It is a matter of teaching ourselves to look for these highlighted moments. These are the mini miracles I speak of on a daily basis.
Our minds are wonderful. They let us do more than we know. I have been watching the Olympians in Rio. Their muscles are well trained and their routines are so entrenched that even with injuries they keep going to offer great performances for themselves and their team. I love that spirit of doing for ourselves and for those around us.
People don’t always live or die after an accident. Life isn’t black or white. Sometimes broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, and/or heart complications leave people in limbo temporarily or forever. Day-to-day healing and changes in health teach us that we need to be flexible. It isn’t easy. Often the benefits of being patient pay royally in dividends. We make better decisions for healthcare when we take the time to get multiple opinions. Time helps in healing everything, from broken bones to broken relationships. Time and creative solutions bring us full circle and teaches us to share openly so others can be helped.
In a culture where instant gratification is rampant, we want instant results and assurance that things will be perfect again. It only contributes to this black or white mentality. We all need to slow down and make good choices. Our health improves when we eat slowly and when we balance our lifestyles. Our friendships change when we allow others to be themselves. If I have learned anything it is that we cannot control the decisions others make. We need to be wise and recognize what we can control.
People want their financial issues cured now. They want new jobs immediately. Jobs come and go and sometimes it takes a few changes to find just the right one. Finding the right one that pays well and works for you may not be available on your time table. Embrace your day and it will bring you a harvest of goodness.
What things are you being called to have patience about? Are you ready to take the good with the bad? Who do you need to reach out to today? Are you starting slowly with that new exercise program?
Staying on track is a good goal; just like keeping our cars working well! We take things one day at a time and “show up”! Highways and opportunities close and open. What goals are you working towards today? this week? next month? or in the next year?
Blessings as your forge ahead! Find your mini miracle today! Maybe it is realizing that all solutions are temporary just as all problems are as well?