I was almost to the house where I work yesterday morning, looking forward to another normal day, when I came upon a sign that read “road work ahead.” Sure enough, not only was there a dump truck stopped in my lane, there was a road grater blocking the other lane. On any normal road, there would have been someone directing traffic, or at least a detour sign. On this road, nothing. No options except to call my co-worker, Jane, and find an alternate route. I inwardly fumed about the inconvenience, especially when I misunderstood Jane's directions and got very lost. This is not how I'd planned to spend my morning. When I finally arrived at work, thanks to Jane meeting me and leading me in, I realized that the inconvenience really wasn't that big of a deal, but a way for God to teach me patience and flexibility.

My mom has a habit of asking God every morning to “order her day.” He always does, not always in the way she had planned, but it's always good. I like that prayer because it reminds us that we are not supposed to be the ones in control of our lives, of our days. God is.

I am reminded of the time when I was a child and my mom couldn't find her car keys one morning. She worked at the Christian school I attended, and not only was she responsible for getting me there on time, without her, her class wouldn't have a teacher. To this day, I still remember my mom kneeling at the couch, praying that God would help her find her keys. He did, but in His time. After we arrived at school, we got a call from my grandmother, who told us that there was a serious accident in an area we always passed through on the way to school. If mom had not lost her keys, we may have been involved in that accident.

Proverbs 16:9 says, “a man's heart deviseth his way, but the Lord directeth his steps (KJV).” God is infinitely wiser than we are, and knows what's up ahead. He knows what will best mold us more into His likeness.

I want to always see every inconvenience, every “road work ahead” sign, as an opportunity, not to grumble or complain, but for Him to work in my life.