The Unexpected

I went outside seeking the sun and ended up on the ground. 

Seating myself in the comfortable chair, I balanced my herbal tea precariously. I leaned one way then the other. The sun’s angle had changed since the early summer months. 

At exactly 10am my chair used to be in direct line with its rays.

Sun or no sun, the birds were singing. Taking a sip of tea, I sat back to relax. 

“Pop!” I heard and suddenly the left side of my chair collapsed, sending me to the ground unceremoniously. A screw skittered across the floor, having come loose. 

My tea was safe and the only thing that was hurt being my sense of self-reliance, as I tried in vain to fix the chair.

Its companion, which I rarely even gaze at, looked at me invitingly. 

I shuffle my things … tea, pen/paper (always taken along during a writer’s leisure), phone, Bible to the new chair.

I plop down, slightly exasperated. 

The side of Laura's chair had collapsed, but what happened next was even more unexpected. Click To Tweet

Well, lo and behold. The sun’s rays! 

Its bright shiny beams warm me. 

Next to me, all this time. 

And so, I’ve learned. 

Be willing … to move to find the sunshine. 

Be aware … of your surroundings. They could hold your answer.

Be open …. to change. It can bring fresh perspective. I can see things from here that I couldn’t see from the other chair. They’ve been waiting for me (all summer) to discover them.

Be flexible … to learn. God can take your mistakes or things happening in the world around you and create such good from them. 

I sit and reflect, my remaining tea growing cold. 

The sun’s slow ascent across the sky throws its rays, scraping light against dark onto the worn boards of the decking at my feet. Shadows become light, each getting their own turn in the sunlight.  

Life can be unexpected. It can change so quickly, from moment to moment. 

Not all is well. But not all is bad, either.

Be willing, be aware, be open, be flexible. Click To Tweet

Seek the rays. Be willing to move. Gain perspective. 

See the good.

I went outside seeking the sun and ended up on the ground. 

Thanks for helping me find the sunshine, God. 

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Share when God used something unexpected to expand your vision. Has this led you into a deeper relationship with Him?