I was on my way to a party and I took a wrong turn. I pulled into the parking lot of a golf
course to look at the directions and turn around to head to the right
road. While I was in the parking lot, a guy
in a big truck backed up rather quickly and slammed into the side of my
car! The driver had been drinking in the
clubhouse, and now he was in a hurry to get on the road. He was very apologetic, and it was clear he should
not have gotten behind the wheel of his truck.
He took complete responsibility for the accident and called his
insurance company. He told me he was
going to go back to the clubhouse and sober up before driving anywhere.
My initial reaction was disappointment that my new Chevy
Malibu was severely damaged, and that I would be late to the party. However, my mind shifted to think about what
could have happened. If this semi-drunk
guy had not hit my car, he would have headed out of the parking lot and down
the road and might have hit someone! Thank you, Lord, for putting me in this
parking lot at just the right moment to stop this guy from driving on the road!
I got my car repaired and it was good as new again.
Two months later, I left my car parked on the street overnight
in front of our house. In the morning, I
took my dog outside as my husband was leaving for work. I said, “Honey… look! Someone’s car is totaled!” My husband walked over to me and we both
looked at a Chevy Malibu down the street in front of the neighbor’s house. Dave said, “Oh no! That’s YOUR car!”
The driver had hit my car so hard it moved all the way in
front of the neighbor’s house. My
beautiful Chevy Malibu was totaled. I
called the police, and wondered why and how this had happened! As I waited for the police to arrive, I said
a silent prayer to God. Lord, please bring something good out of
this, the way you brought something good out of it when my car was hit in the
parking lot. Please God! Thank you for allowing this to happen.
Immediately, I felt in my heart that my car saved the driver’s
life. When the police arrived, I showed
them where my car had been parked in front of my house. There was a big tree next to the place where
my car had been parked. We could see
that the impact to my car was from an angle at the back left corner of my car. If my car had not been parked there, the
driver would have slammed into the tree, and I believe he surely would have
been killed. I felt a deep conviction in
my heart that God used my car to save the driver’s life.
The police searched the area and found a license plate
laying in the street. It belonged to the
driver, and the police went over to his house a few blocks away. The police told me later that the man was
still drunk when they arrived at his house.
A week later, I saw that man on his front lawn playing ball with a
little boy. I wonder if he knows that my car saved his life!
My insurance company took care of everything and recovered the cost from the driver's insurance company. I ended up with a brand new Chevy Malibu, and
I love it (I still have it). I am happier
with the newer model; I love the color, the interior, the upgraded features. When I think about the other Malibu, I am
thankful and I remember how God gave me His perspective on the incidents with
that car. Because I had opened up my
heart with gratitude, God showed me His purpose. God’s perspective gave me joy! That joy took the place of the normal human
reaction of self-pity that I could have experienced (“why was I in the parking
lot at that moment…how unlucky!” Or, “why did I leave my car parked outside
that night? Look what happened!!”).
Those two experiences with my Malibu help me to remember to
thank God before I have a chance to
put myself into a self-pity mode in disappointing situations. This
approach helps me to open my heart to see things from God’s perspective. It also helps me to avoid unnecessary worry and
anxiety, which can take a toll on my attitude and health and erase my joy!
For 2017, why not make Gratitude a goal? Plan ahead! Make a decision to thank God for a confusing or disappointing situation. Ask God for wisdom. Ask Him to give you His perspective on the
situation. If you want some practice, think
of one specific thing in your life right now that is causing you to have
self-pity, and get on your knees and thank God for that specific situation. Ask God for wisdom; ask for His perspective. Ask Him to replace your self-pity with joy!
What a great goal!
Devotion
Be joyful always; pray
continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you
in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Prayer:
Thank you, Lord, for
using my Chevy Malibu to teach me so much about gratitude. Thank you for answering my prayers and showing
me your perspective on situations that may be disappointing. I pray that you would use these illustrations
to inspire people to make a “gratitude goal” for 2017, so they will experience
the joy of discovering your perspective! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
© 2016 Linda Lijewski
