Reflecting on a recent trip spanned multiple highways and many emotions, I’m reminded of the complexity and beauty woven into daily experiences. Picture this: an early morning start, setting out on a road I’ve driven before, guided not just by memory but now by the steady voice of GPS, leading me into a day full of emotions as unpredictable as the winding roads ahead.
What began as a fresh, three-hour drive to take my son to a new doctor in Dallas turned into an odyssey of the heart. Each passing mile tugged at my thoughts, emotions shifting as freely as the scenery. Tears threatened at unexpected moments, yet I found myself embracing the ordinary kindnesses—a valet’s comforting smile, a doctor’s warmth that felt like a family member’s embrace. It’s the small, often overlooked pieces of our day that can speak volumes to our souls.
James 1:2-4 nudges us to “consider it pure joy... whenever you face trials of many kinds.” That truth carried me as I started my return journey, another three hours as we headed home on the road, and then after dropping my son off, I returned to the highway. My second trek that day, a drive to a writer’s conference, came with weariness and patience being tested at every stop. The culmination? A honk and sharp word from another driver at a fast-food window, an incident that nearly unraveled me. Instead of responding in frustration, I paid for the stranger’s meal, a silent offering that whispered Galatians 6:9: “Let us not become weary in doing good.”
