Fresh off of ‘vacation’, I have found myself back to rushing through the day, allowing small frustrations to build up into bigger problems. Today, the last straw came when my pharmacy turned a prescription pick-up into a two day process. With no air conditioning in my car, the temperature in my mind was rising as fast as the heat inside.

I noticed a tire shop nearby. Last week, I had a nail that flattened mine to the rim, when I also realized there was no air in the spare. This seemed like a wise time to fill that up and not entirely waste the 30 minute drive here. I pulled into the garage and popped the trunk. The serviceman starts to laugh as I remove a pair of rollerblades, helmet, overnight bag stuffed with clothes, a bag of recreational equipment, a cooler, blanket and car chalk just to get to the spare underneath.

Now you may think I’m planning for a picnic in the park, but let me just tell you the reason for all this; I simply want to be prepared for a whim. The conversation centered on my skates, when I heard from behind, “Hey, how’s it going?” I turned to see my friend Jeff. We began to talk about my recent trip to Italy but it didn’t take long for the service on the ‘donut’ to be complete. I wrapped up our conversation in favor of a pressing schedule

As I drove away, I realized there was peace in my heart. I knew right then that God had placed my friend there in a time of stress, when I needed connection. ‘What would happen if I blew off the remaining list of to-do’s I was already behind with, and conversed a bit more? What if I set aside my schedule more often in favor of these uplifting exchanges?’ I wondered. Without much hesitation, I turned my car around and rejoined my friend as he waited on his vehicle.

I think it’s quite amazing that if we choose to look outside of our perspective on life, we can see God shifting the sand in our favor. I was late getting to the gym tonight, but I got there with a full spirit instead of one on empty. My soul was no longer burdened with stress but soothed by the conversations with a friend. I felt my confidence restored after I kicked ‘hurry up, you’re late for your schedule’ to the curb. And when I got to the gym, I ran longer and lifted more weights than I set out to. It wasn’t a coincidence; my friend was in the right place at the right time.

Putting action behind your faith requires that you get back up, dust yourself off, and say, “I’m not going to stay down. There’s still time left in the day to turn my heart around.” I encourage you today to let your actions give life to your faith as you step up to new levels of His favor and blessing in your life!

Oh, my gracious God, forgive me for forgetting the favor you give me each day in every circumstance. Thank You for Your Word that builds faith in my heart, thank you for friendships that restore life when I’m down, thank you for your Spirit that refreshes my soul. Open my eyes to the opportunities you are work into my day. I ask for your mighty strength to choose life and action behind this faith I profess. In Jesus’ name, Amen.