Rolling with Life's Curveballs: Finding Joy in the Journey

Life comes at us fast. The challenges we face can trip up any one of us. I want to share a quick story and suggestion that I think can make all the difference.

Years ago, I was traveling with my wife when our rental car broke down on a snowy day. We called the rental agency, and they asked us to drive back to the airport to swap out the car. I had to laugh. "Sir, the car we’re driving is leaking gas and is undriveable. I don’t think we’ll make it back." So, they sent a flatbed truck carrying our next rental to where we were. They dropped off the new car and picked up the broken one.

We continued our trip, but soon discovered the steering was faulty, making it impossible to navigate the mountain turns. We carefully pointed the car back toward town and made it to the airport to get a third rental. The next day, the windshield on that car cracked after sitting in the sun. For whatever reason, though, we didn’t let it bother us. We laughed at every little mishap, rolled with the punches, and somehow made the most of it. That trip ended up being one of the best we’ve ever had.

I’ll never forget that journey. It reminds me not to sweat the little things—that everything is fixable or temporary—and that it’s going to be okay. I just want to encourage you with that message today.

Life comes fast and hard, but our outlook drives our output, which always circle back as input.

Enjoy the season!