Storytime with Keagan and Charity! Each day is an invitation to receive unexpected blessing from God. But unexpected blessings often come from unexpected situations where we have the choice to be discouraged and disappointed or to seek God. We learned this recently during a vacation that took us on an unexpected detour.
Hello, everyone!
It has been a hard few months, and I needed a break from writing for a bit. BUT, I’M BACK! And today, I bring to you a story from the life of Keagan and Charity (that’s me!)!
Last month, Keagan and I were coming back from a vacation in Florida with Keagan’s family when our car broke down. Stranded in the mountains of Tennessee, Keagan and I did the only logical thing we could think of (…besides crying…): Call our dads. We do this adult thing real well…
It was sunset just outside of Knoxville, Tennessee, and we were still 6 hours from home. We tried everything to start that car again, but finally we flew our white flag and called AAA (Triple A). I have never called a tow truck before, but for some reason it really made me feel like an adult. The woman on the other end of the line was so kind as my shaky voice tried to explain where we were stranded.
God’s provision with this was incredible. We had a mile marker a hundred feet in front of us which made it easy to tell AAA where we were.
Also, had we left the previous afternoon (which was the original plan), we would have broken down in the middle of the night. Since it was only 7 PM, we called my sister who lives about 70 miles from where we were. (Another example of God’s provision and hand in the situation!) She was able to direct us to the mechanic she uses and trusts and then waited there to pick us up (big sisters are just the best!).
By the time the tow truck arrived, it was dark, and it felt like a movie watching the little Ford Escape get scooped up off the ground. We piled into the bench seat tow truck with probably one of Tennessee’s kindest people and had a great hour drive to the car doctor where my sister picked us up.
In the end , our 4-day adventure to Florida turned into a 7-day adventure with a pit stop in Tennessee and a blessed visit with my dear sister.
God’s hand could not have been any clearer in this situation. From deciding to leave Florida a day later and in the morning to breaking down outside of Knoxville less than 100 miles from my sister, He was with us in it all. He turned a stressful situation into a blessed and needed respite. The peace I had during it all was only because of God. I missed class all that week, but because of COVID my professors were already set up to have it on Zoom for those in quarantine. I was able to attend class via Zoom from the beauty of the Smokies. My professors were so gracious and understanding.
One thing that I forgot to mention is that just hours before our car broke down, I received a call from a hospital offering me my dream job on a labor and delivery floor! Well almost dream job… It was for nights. Since I didn’t have to go back to school right away, Keagan and I were able to intentionally ask God about the opportunity. I was able to have time and space to pray, journal and walk with God in the mountains. He gave us so much peace about accepting that offer even though nights were not my first choice.
If it weren’t for those 3 days in Tennessee, I don’t think I ever really would have sought the Lord’s guidance and peace in it. I would have just started up with the business of school life. I thank God for this unexpected journey. I thank Him that He helped slow me down to see what He was actually wanting to do in that moment.
As Keagan and I reflected about what happened during the trip to Tennessee, we concluded that our car breaking down and falling apart wasn’t a good thing. In a perfect world, cars wouldn’t leave people stranded. But what satan meant for evil, God used for good.
Anxiety is a huge struggle for me. I worry and obsess over EVERYTHING so the fact that God gave me peace during the initial breaking down, figuring out what to do about the car, where we would stay and how I’d make up school is AMAZING. Satan wanted to throw me over the edge. In a way, I guess he did, but God caught me like He always does (which I so often forget!).
God gave me time to breathe in one of my favorite spots in the world! He gave me time to process what the future will look like. He gave me time to remember who He is. Time to seek His face. Time to be in His presence sheltered from the distractions of everyday life.
Often, we grumble when the unexpected happens. We see it as an inconvenience. But what if we stopped seeing the unexpected as an inconvenience and started seeing them as invitations? Invitations to invite God into the inconvenience. Invitations from God to find Him in the inconvenience. Invitations to unexpected blessings that God wants to give us, but we are so often too busy to accept. What satan does to try and distract us from God, God wants to use to draw us closer to Himself. He offers us an invitation to unexpected blessing in those moments.
It is a simple lesson, but one I struggle with a lot.
I pray that when life doesn’t go the way you hoped it would that you will ask God to show you the unexpected blessing He wants to give you through it. Ask Him to show Himself to you, to be near to you amidst the inconvenience.
Have a blessed weekend, my friends. 💜
Keagan popping in here, but I have to give a quick shoutout to Charity! She graduates from nursing school tomorrow! So proud of you, Char, and all of your hard work!
Author:
Hello! I’m the C to KC & Co! My name is Charity, and I am so excited you are checking out our site and blog. My deepest desire is that God will use the words on this blog to encourage, strengthen and deepen your love for Jesus. Read more of my writing here.
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