Thankful For A Bad Day

I seriously had a horrible day.  It was just down right crummy. 

I left work thankful that the day was nearing a close and I walk out to a light sprinkle of  rain to discover my car wouldn't start. How appropriate.  I couldn't reach the hubby and there was no one in the parking lot. Even better.  Wait, another human being!  Thank goodness someone was working a little late!

So my buddy Chris pulls his car around and we're good to go, right? No. There was something...strange about his battery.  Now I have no clue about cars, don't know anything about them. But I do know what a battery looks like and his did not look anything like it should.  He was just as perplexed as I was.  I know it's weird but I wasn't even sure if what he thought was his battery was in fact a battery - so I sent him on his way and continued my quest for assistance.   

After finding a lovely gentleman to assist me,  I was on the way home to put this day to rest. As I was driving I was thinking of the day as a whole and reflecting on the series of bad.  Really sulking and licking my wounds.  And it struck me how ironic it was that I had started the day off with such a different attitude. 

This morning I had a scheduled phone meeting at 8:30.  I get to work early,  7:45 at the latest - and that's including a quick stop for my Diet Pepsi fix.  So when we were setting up the time I was going to schedule it for 8:00 - but I didn't, I said 8:30 instead.  I had car trouble this morning and guess what?  I rolled in at 8:20.  So as I was driving to work all I could think was how good God was - even thought I had trouble that caused me to be late, He had arranged that I wouldn't miss this phone call.  And I was thankful that He made provision for me.

Then I had a moment of clarity - He had done that for me throughout the whole day, continuously.  I was just so absorbed in myself that it wasn't apparent.  It was easy for me to give thanks and glory to God this morning because I could see, without looking too hard, the benefit to me.  But even in the midst of strife He is working in my life.  Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  He is working in our lives always.

So I became thankful for today.  Thankful that God was working to teach  me grace and humility.  Thankful that He was working to teach me patience.  Thankful that He was working to teach me understanding. Thankful that He was working to teach me forgiveness.  I was fighting it the whole time - yet, despite my resistance, He made provision for me.

So I am thankful, not just for the good days but for the bad days too because there is a lesson and purpose in each of them.  Sometimes I just have to look a little harder to find it...