"Is your life flat?"

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I shared a story with you, “Do you overreact?” during the week when one of my tires went flat a couple of mornings. A friend emailed me with her thanks. She had spent the night before tossing and turning because her computer was broken and she couldn’t get a report in to a civic group she leads. The story gave her some much-needed perspective.

So I wrote back and assured her that the story helped me, also. I related my flat tire episodes and how much better an experience I had by not overreacting. She wrote back to say, “I had a problem with flats after I purchased four new tires. The company put the old valve stems in the new tires and it caused the flats. Good luck with getting it fixed.”

Now there’s something to listen to life about—new tires, old valve stems, and flats. Life changes very quickly and maybe you want to hang on to something that worked previously, like valve stems. But life doesn’t work that way. The new in your life brings new ways of doing life, or else you go flat.

Ask God to make your life new when you feel flat as you make a life today.

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"Do you laugh enough?"

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So I get up two mornings in a row to discover the same tire flat. I manage to stay calm by listening to my life and getting some God-perspective on life--“There’s no blood. You’re not having a heart attack or a stroke. And no one has cancer. God is good to you.” And I kept my mouth shut and didn’t say anything stupid to the guy who repaired the tire the first time so I can go back there again.

I wrote a little something on my Facebook page about this experience. The first day I received a bit of sympathy. The second day when the same tire when flat again, my “friends” started kidding me with comments like, “Putting air in a tire that keeps going flat—is that the definition of insanity?” and “My grandfather always said that the first time the mule kicks you, it’s shame on the mule. The second time it’s shame on you” and “Dr. Joey, is it time to get a new tire?”

All of which I thought was funny; in fact, hilarious. You know, with friends like these, I’ll go far in life, don’t you think?

Laugh at the unexpected and take it in stride, with God’s help, as you make a life, not just a living.

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"Do you take life for granted?"

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So I get up one early morning on my way to a meeting and discover a flat tire. Then I get up the next morning, early again, to go to a meeting and discover the same tire flat. So what do you think I did the third morning?

I got up even earlier to allow time for the unexpected. I walked into the garage and stared at the tire that was the culprit the two previous mornings. It wasn’t flat! So I walked around to the other three tires and checked them. They were all just fine.

I drove on to my office and thought to myself, “How many mornings do I take for granted that all of my tires are fine? And that the car will start right away? And that everything will run just fine?” I decided that I take my car running smoothly for granted.

What do you take for granted in your life? Or, maybe an even better question is, “Who do you take for granted in your life?”

God keeps life running smoothly most days. But if you’re like me, I take God for granted, too. So listen to life and thank God for your life today…especially when your life’s not flat.

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"Does lightning strike twice?"

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Yesterday I told you about getting up early one morning to make a meeting and discovering a flat tire. I did stay calm by reminding myself, “There’s no blood. You’re not having a heart attack or a stroke. And no one has cancer. God is good to you.” And that worked quite well that morning.

Care to guess what happened the next morning? That’s right! I got up even earlier for a meeting, got about half-way down our drive and “thump, thump, thump” again…and it was the same tire! 
I drove my car back into the garage, parked, went inside and asked my wife to borrow her vehicle. I made it to the meeting about five minutes late.

Human nature being what it is, it was easy for me to assume the guy didn’t fix the tire properly. But I told myself, “Think about it now. Maybe it’s another puncture. Don’t get mad.” And guess what? It was just that—I ran over a board or something—and by remaining calm again, I avoided saying something stupid to my friend at the garage.

Listen to your life and ask God to keep your mouth shut as you make a life.

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"The unexpected happens, doesn’t it?"

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 One early morning recently, I ran out of the house to jump in the car and go to a meeting. I had little time to spare so I was moving along quickly.

I got in my car, cranked it, backed out of the garage, and headed down the driveway. I drove along to my meeting when I heard a “thump, thump, thump” and got that dreaded “This can’t be good” feeling in the pit of my stomach. Oh yea, I had a flat tire.

So I detoured over to a tire shop, had it checked, and they found a screw in the tire which they removed and repaired the tire. I made it to the meeting before it ended, but I was late which I don’t enjoy being.

Of course, when you’re late and waiting for something unexpected to be fixed, it seems like it takes forever. Of course, it doesn’t, but I took a moment to remind myself, “There’s no blood. You’re not having a heart attack or a stroke. And no one has cancer. God is good to you.” That helped me stay calm.

Life seems dominated at times by unexpected experiences. Stay calm as you wait by listening to your life and making a life, not just a living.

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