Instead of moaning and groaning over difficult or unforeseen circumstances and letting ourselves get off kilter, we can choose to accept what is and move forward. I know this is hard to do sometimes, but our lives are so much better if we can look for the good in every circumstance and keep heading in the right direction.

“Oh, the plans of mice and men” — we all know that no matter what we plan on any given day, flexibility is in order to deal with the distractions. In reality, what we view as a distraction may be an absolutely wonderful gem if we learn not to set our feet on an uncompromising path. Thus … “Just roll with it” seems like good advice to me.

Going to work in a gift shop was not especially part of my plan for this year, but when my hubby, Mike, decided to work toward his class A driver’s license I began to see things differently. Mike passed his test, and although he wanted a job close to home, he quickly found that the really good jobs require at least a year of road experience.

We prayed for God’s guidance, and a job opened for him driving team for a large company based in Tennessee. Driving team will be wonderful because he will be working with a driver with many years of experience. This will be a fantastic way to gain the proficiency he needs, and as an added bonus, Mike will be driving with our son-in-law, Ricky. It really does help to know someone to get your foot in the door, especially if your career change comes later in life.

Mike and I can choose to be bummed about him spending so much time away, or we can look for the silver lining. He will be on the road weeks at a time so I decided that a part-time job might be a good thing for me. God is so good to lead us. And no sooner had the thought come to me than I bumped into a local shop owner who has become a friend.

“Karen, Mike is going to drive an 18-wheeler and will be gone a lot. I think I might get really lonely if I don’t have a little job. Do you think you could use me at your shop?”

“Girl, my husband has had a knee replacement, and I so need some help! Can you start this evening? I can show you the ropes and get a key for you if you will open for me tomorrow.”

God is always in the details, and never fails to come through if we seek His guidance.

Working at the shop has been ideal; I’ve seen people that I haven’t seen in years. And I do love to meet new people also, so every day is fun filled. I have had a couple of mess-ups on the register, but Karen and the customers have been so gracious and sweet that I’ve quickly gained confidence. When business is slow I just sit in one of the comfortable rockers and write to my heart’s content. I think I will actually get more done because laundry or dust, the ever-present enemies to writing productivity, will not be calling my name!

Best of all, I am so blessed that my employer is a believer and gives me the freedom to share my faith. A lovely lady came in the other day and told me that she had recently lost her father. The opportunity arose for me to share how God helped me through similar times of loss and heartache. The store was empty except for the two of us. Her tears fell gently as the rain pattered onto the tin roof overhead, and I was reminded that God always has a plan.

Jan Penton Miller can be reached at lilsisjan@yahoo.com.