We got one of those phone calls. It wasn’t that much dreaded phone call of losing someone. It was the one where you have to stop what you are doing to provide immediate assistance.

In the heat of traffic, on a cool and windy morning, my son had a blow-out. Thankfully, he was able to pull off onto the shoulder of the road out of harm’s way. He called his employer, which happened to be his aunt, to let her know of his situation and that he would be late. My very resourceful sister had secured the help of two gentlemen and was on the way to help until I called to let her know we were en route. #lovemysister😍

My husband and I had to make a detour in order to drive to the other side of town to assist. All the while, my husband was saying, “he already has the tools he needs to change the tire.” I called my son to ascertain if he had the tools; to which he replied he did not. My husband was adamant he did. Nonetheless, I insisted we go help him find the tools so that he could change his tire…with his father’s assistance! #mamabearroseup 😁

I must preface this with the fact that we were already a little irritated that we were leaving later than we planned. Adding salt to the wound, we had just gotten out of stalled traffic which further delayed us and, dare I say, further irritated us. Oh how the devil was picking at us! Oh how he was trying to steal our joy and perspective! #nottodaysatan #youcangotohell

I crack myself up!

How would we respond? How should we respond? As Lysa Terkeurst said, “How can we delight in what is right?”

I stopped the brewing frustration cold in its tracks! I immediately thought and spoke aloud, “this could have been much worse. #thankyouJesusforwhisperinginmyear

My son, no doubt, was probably driving 70 mph. The phone call could have been different. It could have been someone calling to let me know my son was in the hospital!

#BUTGOD

Needless to say, because of that perspective, we became instantly grateful for the blown out tire that caused us to be late to work! #attitudeofgratitude

As we pulled up behind my son’s car, it appeared he found the tools because things were laying on the ground. My husband got out of the car to provide instruction and support!

My son realized he had the tools, but then he began to question the tools! They appeared to be too small and not capable of doing the job! He asked, “Daddy, are these the right tools?” To which my husband responded, “Yes son, these are the right tools.” My son looked again at the tools and asked, “Daddy are you sure these are the right tools? It doesn’t look like it will work!” To which my husband lovingly replied, “Yes son, these are the right tools. Trust me.”

#thiswillpreach

I will save you all the other details, but suffice it to say the tire was changed and we made it to work. My husband offered one more piece of advice to my son. “Go get a new tire when you get off work. This donut is not meant to be driven on forever. This is just temporary.”

The tools helped him get going, but there was more work to do. Sometimes we think the temporary fix is the permanent solution and we keep operating in this less than optimal place wondering why we couldn’t do what we were doing before.

Wait…that is another blog article! I must stay focused on this assignment!😁

We all had a pretty successful day at work and school. It ended up being a good day despite the start.

What would have happened if we had the wrong perspective? Anger, short fuses, and terse words would have been the flavor of the day. It would have spread like wild fire in five different environments adversely impacting probably hundreds of people.

Michael and I could have let the frustration brew and pour it out on our son and co-workers. My son would have gotten upset and poured it out on the kids he works with, his co-workers, classmates and professors. In turn, all of those people would have probably poured it out on others! As James 3:5-6 says, the tongue is a small fire that is set on fire by hell causing destruction! We must watch our tongues!

“So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.”

‭‭James‬ ‭3:5-6‬ ‭ESV

Friends, when life throws you a curve ball, and it will, don’t lose the proper perspective. Doing so brings unnecessary grief and causes friction in your home, work, and other areas.

Choosing the right perspective allowed me to see that we all have the tools we need to get the job done. Furthermore, they are the right tools! They may not look like you thought they would, but it is what you need. They are enough! You are enough!

You already have what you need!

Sometimes we don’t know that we already have what we need! So our loving and faithful God puts us in a situation to make us realize that we had everything we needed all along. The situation was not to harm us but to prosper us and to give us a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

I dare say, once you know you have the tools, you feel richer and more secure about the future!! You feel confident knowing you have what you need and it is ready for use when the situation arises! Our God shall supply all of our needs according to his riches and glory! (Phil 4:19)

#thankyouJesus #JehovahJireh

My friend, you are enough! You have enough!

Stop doubting yourself!

Stop wishing you had what someone else had!

Stop thinking that there is not enough for you!

Trust the God has given you everything you need! As Peter 1:3 says,

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1:3‬ ‭NIV

I am thankful for the situation of a blown-out tire.

My son got to change a tire in real time while his father instructed.

I got to appreciate one of the many gifts my husband brings to our family.

We all learned that we are already equipped with what we need to be successful.

We just have to search for it and stop questioning whether it is good enough to get the job done. As Jeremiah 29:13 says,

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29:13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Seek Him and let Him show you all He has placed in you to do great works in His Name!

You already have what you need and it is enough!

Spicing Up Your Soul