While we were out with friends on Friday night, we discovered we had a flat tire. A rainstorm began immediately. When we tried to change the tire, we realized it had a bolt lock, and we didn’t have a key for it. So, the car had to be towed to a nearby tire store for work the next morning.

The tow truck driver & I agreed on a location, but when I called the store first thing the next morning, my car wasn’t there. It took an hour of calling around to locate it at a different shop. Rather than putting the key in their dropbox, the tow truck driver had locked the keys inside the car, so I had to immediately drive 30-minutes to open the car. They had several morning appointments, so we wait a few hours for the tire to be fixed.

It shouldn’t take this much effort to fix a flat tire. But sometimes this is life. Simple things can become complicated, and unexpected small details can bring our plans to a halt. Certain days, this is our reality and we can’t get away from it. But the way we choose to emotionally respond to these moments defines the way we feel about everything else.

For much of my life, I have struggled with these unpredictable moments. I have let them distract me from joy. I have allowed frustration to disturb my peace. But this weekend I was able to laugh with the journey, embrace the craziness, and accept the moment as a gift… even though it wasn’t what I would have chosen. And I was blessed to be surrounded by people who saw it the same way.

For me, it wasn’t wasted time. It was an opportunity to remember that I’m not in control, but I can be at peace wherever I find myself. And I believe you can too.