Manic Monday

A week ago yesterday, I got in my car to drive to work as usual. The weekend had passed, my alarm went off, and sure enough, it was Monday. Funny how that beloved day of the week (I hope you can sense my sarcasm) always comes back around. I hit snooze on my phone a few too many times, and, as a result, I spent my morning rushing around my apartment so I could make it out the door in time.

I got in my car, turned on the radio, and got on the highway toward downtown. Morning commutes
and the traffic therein is baffling. It makes no sense that a group of cars moving in the same direction with the same intent to get to work could move so slowly so consistently. Half of the time I am convinced a major wreck has to be up ahead considering the traffic flow. However, I am always surprised to find that the backup was due to not a wreck, but impatient drivers constantly changing lanes to try to get to their destination more quickly, when really they are only facilitating their own problems.

On this particular Monday, the backup seemed particularly daunting. I braked. I accelerated. We sped up. We slowed down. This pattern, however, threw an unexpected curve into my morning. At the point when traffic seemed to speed up, the woman in front of me slammed on her brakes as a part of a chain reaction to the driver in front of her doing the same thing. I, in turn, slammed on my brakes, but unfortunately was not able to avoid giving the car in front of me a friendly little tap in the rear.

I went into panic mode as we both pulled over to the shoulder. As the woman got out of her car and began to talk to me, I was immediately thankful. I was expecting a beefed up man with road rage akin to those in drivers ed vhs tapes. Instead, I was met by a kind woman in her early 30's. We looked at both of our cars, and thankfully there wasn't any visible damage on either end. We exchanged information and a hug, but she said she most likely wouldn't call (She never did).

Getting back in my car, I was thankful no one was hurt and that no damage was done, but still I was off kilter, shaken, and only one sentence ran through my head. "Today is such a Monday already."

Little did I know what that Monday had in store for me. After staff meeting, I decided to take an early lunch at my desk. Everyone else was out of the office, but I was ready for some time alone. As I sat down at my desk, the tension I felt about my morning was unbearable so I did the only thing I knew to do. I stopped and prayed. I prayed that the Lord would change my perspective on my Monday. I prayed I wouldn't miss any opportunites He placed in front of me to be a blessing to others and that I would take focus off of myself.

Not too long after that, I made a call to a client to schedule a photograph. Right before I hung up, I heard these words from the sweet older man on the line. "Kelly, wait. Listen to me. Don't let anyone take your joy. Don't let anyone or anything that happens today make you mad. Can you promise me that?" I smiled on the other end of the receiver and promised him I wouldn't. My tension started to lessen.

An hour or so later, I was on the phone with a paint company about a donation. At the end of the phone call, I told the man that I hoped he had a great day. Here is what he said. "Every day is a good day. Even when they start off bad, something good always come along. We just have to look for the good in each day we are given."

After I hung up the phone, I whispered a thank you, knowing God had been using the receiving end of routine phone calls at work to answer my lunchtime prayer and change my perspective.

After my phone calls, I went out with a coworker to take some photographs at a client's home. When we got there, however, the woman was standing outside, realized she had locked her keys in her house, and to top it all off, she had just found out that one of her childhood best friends had just passed away. My Monday morning suddenly seemed trivial. We walked with her up and down the street making sure her keys hadn't fallen out of her pocket and ended up talking to her for a bit. Before we left, we exchanged a hug and a smile, and I suddenly knew we were right where we needed to be at the exact moment God intended. I didn't get my photographs. I didn't get to check off an item on my to-do list. None of that mattered though.

As we drove back to the office, I felt a complete change in my demeaner from a few hours earlier. I was no longer tense. I felt peace, thankfulness, and joy. God took my lunchtime prayer, humbled me, and  multiplied His answer to remind me of His presence and my true purpose in my day-to-day life.

I won't bore you with the details of the rest of my day, however, God didn't stop showing up in the hours following.

The thing is, God never stops showing up. I think too often, we just don't take off our blinders to see Him. We set our site on our problems and our priorites, and don't even look for the countless places God is showing up all around us. All I did was ask to see, and He more than opened my eyes. I don't want to go through life with Monday blinders over my eyes. Perhaps a lunchtime prayer is in order every day, every morning, before I begin my day.

Lord, show me You today and show me how to share your love in my day. Remove my blinders and my agenda. Give me your eyes and your perfect will. 

Mondays come every week. This week's held a horrific tragedy in Boston that weighs heavily on so many hearts. As I drove to work today, I heard a quote from Mr. Rogers. He said that when he saw scary things on the news growing up, his dad would tell him to look for the helpers. There are always helpers.

It is hard to see the good in horrific situations, or even in a troubling morning. Whether your "Monday" is on a Thursday moring or a Tuesday evening, remember that there is always good. There is always God. He is always there. He is the light. We just have to open our eyes. Tragedy's ensue, change is inevitable, and our world is unpredictable. Remember not to lock your eyes only on the tragedy. Don't hone in on the Monday.

Be the helper. Look toward The Helper. His love is unchanging. His presence is constant.