Undercover Gifts

Last week, I was driving on very icy roads, equipped with my usual brew of morning coffee.  On an incline, and nearing a van that was stopped at a stoplight, I put on the brakes, only to find that I had hit an ice patch and couldn't stop.

Frantically, I tried to pump the brakes, realizing I had no control and that my car was drifting dangerously close to the van.  I mumbled a quick prayer, and suddenly the driver of the van decided to make a right turn to avoid me hitting her.  And immediately, my car finally stopped and my coffee went everywhere and all over me.  I was soaked!

I was so thankful to have avoided the accident, to have escaped this situation with both cars and people intact, that the coffee spill was just a humorous afterthought.  But on another day, had this spill occurred, I probably would have been really annoyed, frustrated, and it might have cast a gloom over the whole rest of the day. 

It made me think - how many other small annoyances, difficulties or accidents are really gifts saving us from bigger problems or worries?