Little things
What do you do when it's a not-so-beautiful day in the neighborhood?
It was quite a Monday in my little town.
A big truck on the turnpike struck and tore down power lines which then fell across the highway, stopped traffic, and started a brush fire. A collision on the nearest overpass ensued, caused either by fallen wires or smoke, I’m not sure which. Traffic on the turnpike was shut down in both directions, as was traffic on the overpass, thus closing down main roads running north-south and east-west. Oh, and the incident knocked out multiple utilities in parts of town.
Well, it was a Monday.
Last I heard, there were no serious injuries. The town’s emergency service crews were on the job immediately. The near-paralysis of town traffic eventually eased. Utility workers got to work restoring service.
When it was all sorted out, the only impact at my house was losing cable TV for awhile. The only thing I was sorry to miss was Jeopardy!
I wonder how I would have reacted if I’d been one of the stuck drivers, missing an appointment or trying to pick up kids from day camp. How would I have handled being a driver on the overpass, unable to avoid a collision? How about if I’d been part of the highway construction crew working on a project right where the wires fell?
I have an uneasy feeling I’d have done something other than offer it up to God. I’d more likely take Him to task for spoiling my day. I would have exploded with some choice words. I might have gotten a grip on myself within a few minutes, but isn’t how I respond immediately more telling?
I think my decisions in the moment would have said something about my faith in God and my level of self-discipline. That “something” would have been embarrassing. And this speculation is about a relatively minor set of headaches! If I were to handle those in poor grace, how can I face profound losses?
What do you do when you’re stuck in traffic with no progress in sight? Or when you’re stuck, period? Your constructive suggestions would do me good.
Lord, teach me how to handle the little things, and how to trust You in all things.
As if to underscore my prayer, my house is rattling at this moment. There’s a roof replacement happening at my neighbor’s house, and road construction is underway a hundred or so yards away. Ah, the little things…
Anti-trafficking bill signed
I’ve previously written about a piece of New Hampshire legislation, HB 1469, requiring licensing of massage establishments. I’m happy to report that Governor Ayotte has signed the bill! With certain alleged “massage parlors” actually being fronts for sexual exploitation and human trafficking, this new level of oversight will protect legitimate businesses and licensed massage therapists, while giving regulators and law enforcement a tool to shut down exploitive enterprises.