It’s Five Minute Friday time! Here we are in the second half of July already . . . Slow down, time!
I know summer can be a difficult time to keep a steady writing rhythm. I hope this weekly five-minute writing challenge offers you at least one opportunity to get some writing in each week, even if the rest of your routine is a bit out of the ordinary. 🙂
If you’re new, you can learn more about the link-up and how it works here.
Be sure to join the FMF mailing list to be the first to know about upcoming events and resources for writers!
This week’s FMF writing prompt is: CHANCE
In my Five Minute Friday post last week, I shared my hopes and dreams of a day off at the beach with my husband. That day came and went, but it didn’t play out in reality exactly as it had in my head when I envisioned it.
I had dreamed of blue skies, sunshine, and warmth. I had hoped for uninterrupted conversation without the usual busyness of life’s demands.
Instead, we packed up the car with beach chairs, towels, books, water bottles, and a picnic lunch and drove the 30 minutes to the Lake Michigan shoreline.
As soon as we opened the car door, we wished we had packed sweatshirts. It was freezing.
We trudged up and down the dune with our heavy bags and folding chairs, then found a place to park. Instead of sitting on the blanket or towels to bask in the sun, we had to use them to cover ourselves in a vain attempt to get warm.
We sat for about five minutes before someone we knew came up and greeted us. As we chatted, another friend we hadn’t seen for years came up and started a conversation.
We talked for twenty or thirty minutes with these two friends, then the rain started.
So we packed everything up and went back to the car.
I said to my husband, “I feel like I need a do-over. Another chance to try again.” He said it wasn’t likely that we would both get another day off soon.
That evening as we read the Bible for our nightly family devotions, my husband reminded me that God is in control of everything — even unexpected conversations on the beach. Those meetings earlier in the day were not by chance; they happened for a divine purpose.
Even though I had other plans for my day, I can’t pretend it didn’t go exactly as God had ordained.
Maybe I’ll get a do-over, maybe I won’t. Sometimes things go the way we hope, sometimes they don’t. But the Lord knows all and sees all, and orchestrates all things — even the cold and rain — for the good of those who love Him.
STOP.
+++
FEATURED RESOURCE
The Ultimate Goal Getter’s Summit is happening next week,
to help you with everything from prioritizing, to setting goals, to conquering your to-do list.
Kicks off July 25 with 5 days of action-packed presentations.
+++
Join the link-up with your own five-minute freewrite on the prompt, CHANCE, then visit your link-up neighbor to read their post and leave an encouraging comment!
Some think I’d want another try,
a do-over to start again
beneath a smiling summer sky
for years-to-come Remember When,
when full of years with hoary head,
photo album on our laps,
fading captions could be read
as we’d fade into comfy naps.
But that’s just not the way things went,
and we roil ‘midst the rapids’ gyre.
Dory’s splintered, oars are bent,
and the camp-stove just caught fire,
but no matter what next bend may bring,
my dear, I would not change a thing.
Oh Kate! What a bummer. I know that the beach can bring such joy, and at times it can be so darn cold! I pray you get a do-over, but I love how you and your husband realized that the conversational meet ups were a “meant to be” chance occurrence also. I pray you have a day off soon for a solo or duo beach time.
Love and cheers from my tea cup,
Jennifer FMF
It’s not accurate to say ours is a God of second chances. He’s a God of unending chances, a God so compassionate He could forgive adulterers, murderers, and thieves, and give them all another chance.
“But you don’t know what I’ve done!” some might say. And I’ll agree. I don’t know what you’ve done. But I’d respond, “You don’t know what I’ve done either!”
Let’s not compete to see who’s the bigger sinner, shall we? Especially when the good news is, that it doesn’t matter what you or I have done.
All that matters is:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us…and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Not seven times. Not seventy times seven. As long as we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us…and purify us from all unrighteousness.
What are the odds He’d run out of mercy?
Not a chance.
Amen! Thanks for sharing, Rich.