MY LIFE HAS TAKEN ON A STRANGE PATTERN. I’m hoping you can put a name to it. Recent happenings:

• Got new glasses. Problem: They were no better than the old ones. Go get eyes retested.
• Eye-doctor visit. Pulled the address from Contacts. Got there. Right practice; wrong city. Arrived at right city 20 minutes late.
• A deer-tick bite looked funny, so being in my GP’s neighborhood, I decided to have a nurse check it. I knew the address (so I thought) but couldn’t find the building. Ahh—414, not 114.
• And, of course, nary a soul in the office had a moment to spare.
• I did have the right address for an author event. GPS trumpeted my arrival at the programmed destination, but nothing but a vast swamp was in sight. Drove up and down. Nada. Tried a phone call, but the number I had was long dead. Might a local somebody know? Swamps, though, don’t attract businesses. A veterinary office down the road had cars but was closed. A seedy restaurant had some people, and YES! One man did know! “Keep going—way past the swamp.”
• Got there and set up, but only 5 people showed for the event. One wonders how many others might have given up at the swamp. A good time was had by all, however. God was there, and later, a Garmin lady happily accepted my error report.

These incidents have no pattern that I can see. Some were my fault; others pure happenstance.

AMY CARMICHAEL an intrepid missionary woman, has this to say about such things:

“It doesn’t much matter what happens to us. The one thing that matters is how we meet what happens. Limitations, frustrations—they can’t cast the smallest handful of dust on the glory of God. So let us be of good courage. He is leading us through and on, and as for God, His way is perfect.”

And a good belly laugh beats anger when dealing with such happenings!

All of the above happened within a week’s time. Fortunately, I laugh easily. And I do keep my eyes fixed on the glory of God. Tell me about your frustrations. I love your stories!
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