Down the elevator shaft!

I dropped my keys down an elevator shaft today. I just fumbled as I was stepping off. I hadn't been at work for very long before I realized that I left my cell phone at home. I figured I'd just run home and get it. You should have seen me on my knees looking down the crack to see if I could see my beloved key ring. Nope. I couldn't even see down four inches. Well, my prior experiences prepared me for this day: I had a spare set of keys in one of those magnetic lock boxes stuck to my truck. Ran home, got my phone, came back, and stopped by the building's property management office to see if they could help me. To my great pleasure (sick, I know) this isn't the first time this has happened. Oh, the fee to get the elevator guy to come out and retrieve my keys? Over $100. I don't think I need my keys that bad. Well, I left my name and number and said "no hurry but the next time the elevator guys happens to come around..."

At lunch I drove down to Decatur to take a look at a desk a guy (Jason) was hocking on craigslist. I missed my turn at Clairmont and didn't realize it until I was all the way up to Shallowford. I got cocky and thought I could feel my way to Jason's a different way. Wrong! A few miles later I realized I should just back-track to Clairmont. Oh, the hits just keep on coming. I was a little concerned about missing my appointment with Jason, but when I got to Jason's house no one was home. He said he would be there all day packing up. But he forgot that they were closing on his house about that time. Oh, and he also forgot to tell me that he sold the desk to someone else yesterday.

Chuckle. I've never been so at ease with misfortune. A few years ago my stomach would have been tied up in knots with angst over my keys and phone and this guy Jason. I would have been mad at everything and everyone: the management company for charging me to get my keys, the guy in the car in front of me, my boss for scheduling a 10 o'clock meeting, my kids for not reminding me to take my phone to work. I would have spent half an hour trying to figure out how to break into or climb through whatever I'd have to break into or climb through to get up under that elevator. I would have left nasty phone messages.

But none of this got me rattled. It was a good run of trials today, but God kept blessing me in spades. I didn't get locked out of my truck. I made it back to work in time for my 10 A.M. meeting. I kept my cool in traffic. And later, on my way back from lunch, I got a call from the property management office. The elevator guy just happened to stop by today and retrieve my keys. Cool. Very cool.

It's truly amazing to me how my outlook and my fortune changed for the better once I actually began to walk daily with Christ.

Truly God is good... to those whose hearts are pure. But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping and I was almost gone. ... Then I realized my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. I was so foolish and ignorant... How good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do. Psalm 73

The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. Lamentations 3:25