“In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

ROMANS 8:28 (NIV)

Somewhere between Sullivan and Johnson Creek, it happened. A traffic jam. All vehicles had come to a complete stop—the kind of standstill where you know something serious is ahead. Cars were stacked in every lane, brake lights glowing against the gray of the day. There was no exit nearby and no way to turn around. We were all just there, waiting.

People started shifting in their seats, looking at their watches, honking out of frustration. I remember glancing at the clock too, realizing how long I’d already been sitting still. But somewhere in the middle of all that noise, my mind started to quiet. I thought about how many times I had driven that same road without a second thought. Mile after mile, it had always been routine. But that day, something broke the pattern.

It made me realize how quickly life can change. We move through our days, assuming things will always stay the same. Same route. Same rhythm. Same routine. But all it takes is one unexpected moment to remind us how fragile life really is. What feels ordinary today can shift in an instant.

How many times have you found yourself trying to rush life because something altered your plans? Maybe the kids took longer than usual to get dressed. Maybe the McDonald’s drive-thru was busier than normal. Or maybe it was those red lights that always seemed to catch you at the wrong moment. Either way, that pause—that delay—might have been there for a specific reason.

Sitting there on the freeway, I stopped thinking about when traffic would move again. I started thinking about the blessing of all the times it had. The times I had made it home safely. The mornings when the roads were clear. The hundreds of uneventful commutes that quietly carried me without interruption.

Cars were all around me, a picture of the many responsibilities and distractions that press in on us every day. In that moment, I realized the pause was not just about waiting in traffic. It was about perspective. It reminded me that even the routines I often take for granted are small miracles in disguise.

What feels ordinary today is often the blessing you’ll remember tomorrow.

Keep moving forward,

Dr. Key