I was rushing to go to work since I started driving later than I would have liked, but I knew I had to stop to get some gas eventually.
I kept an eye out for the gas prices while driving and noticed most gas stations showing higher prices than I would like to pay, but remembered one location I passed on the way back from work the day before that had a lower price and I planned to stop there. But as I got closer to what I thought would be my ideal gas station I was so engrossed in my own thoughts that by the time I noticed I was passing it I was in the wrong lane to turn in.
I looked in disappointment at the low cost on sign for the gas station I missed because I noticed the prices were going up and it is often different by the time I get off work because the price from the day before only seems to last when you go extremely early in the morning as I normally do with an hour commute. But since I was running a bit later than I wanted to be on my way to work instead of trying to find a way to turn around on a highway when it won’t be convenient I just kept driving a bit and was disappointed thinking I had missed by best option on my route but thought it would be better to miss it than be late.
Near work I saw another sign for gas that while higher than what I passed didn’t seem too bad so I pulled in to fill up to avoid running out of gas. So while I thought I was settling for the next best option I was shocked by the final price because it seemed much lower than I had planned. When I looked at the cost per gallon for the fuel option I chose it was lower than the other options and definitely much lower than the fuel I was planning to buy. I made sure to check my receipt and the amount I should pay according to the pump matched before leaving and I started to think.
Sometimes in life we may think we missed the best opportunity for us, maybe a spouse, a job promotion( or just a job), house, child, whatever else we may have had our heart set on having at a certain time in our lives. But sometimes what we think may be the wrong lane may actually be the best lane to be in in order to get what is really best for us. “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.’” Jeremiah 29:11-12. If I didn’t start driving at a time that seemed less than ideal I would have been more calm and focused while driving and probably would have stopped at that gas station to get what I thought was best price when it really wasn’t. So when you are tempted to be discouraged because you missed what seemed to be the best timing for what you wanted trust that God still has a plan for you that is better than your own.
Picture originally found here
