Testing. Testing. Again?!

Wanna know a great way to test your smoke alarms? Burn your pizza in the air fryer. Why is it in the air fryer in the first place you ask? Because our delightful oven claimed to have been preheated to 425 degrees...but it lied. Open it up, feel no heat, look in to see un-melted cheese on pepperoni pizza, cry a little inside, then toss it into the air fryer.

Set air fryer to said temperature on the instructions, turn the timer, ask your husband to check in on it fifteen minutes later, and out comes a billowing cloud of putrid charcoaled smoke followed by a crisply burnt pizza. All served with a side of wailing smoke alarm. I mean, is there any other way to enjoy pizza?

Ever have one of these nights? How about one of those days? Nothing you put on fits or feels just right. The animals are all set to crazy mode running around the house. You stub your toe rushing to get your coffee. Traffic makes you late (it's not because you left your house ten minutes late because you couldn't remember where you put the keys).

It feels like everyone and everything in the world is out to throw a wrench in every single part of your day. It'd be better if you could just eat away the stress with a tub of ice cream in your comfiest of comfy clothes and binge watch a feel good show.

That's not exactly how we get to handle all the every day junk that jumps out at us. We still have to show up for work, take the kids to school, feed the animals, and do all of the other million and one tasks on our list.

A burnt pizza moment is actually the best opportunity to take disappointment and turn it into a moment of patience and gratitude. Strange things to shift your focus to when the kids are hungry, your tummy is rumbling, and the last thing you want to do is go drive to pick up dinner. Yet it's in these moments that we are pushed to be our best, turning away from us becoming our worst.

Is the pizza burnt? Yes.

Do we want dinner now? Yes.

Are the shrill smoke alarms annoying? Yes.

But we all laughed over how horribly it turned out. Even the dogs turned away from it.

In that moment though, we paused to think how thankful that we have a house full of food. That we don't have to worry about where our next meal is coming from. That we have the ability to go to "Plan D" aka, "Plan Dominoes". We are all safe, happy, and healthy under one roof. Might seem simple, but in the "OMG" moments, it can be a tricky task to shift to that patient and gratuitous mindset.

In these moments, God shows us how much we have been blessed with. We may feel like we have been robbed of moments, time, possessions, relationships, but we can always rely on him. He is always working things for his good.

Isaiah 43:19- "19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." (ESV)

From scattered morning moments springs forth his peace. From rushing in traffic springs forth his patience. From burnt pizza springs forth a new family memory. From ashes springs forth new life. From accepting the Lord into your life springs forth a promise of eternal life in his mercy and love.

Just look and listen in all of the moments that seem to weigh us down. He will show us. So the next time something doesn't fit right, when everyone is losing their bananas in the house, you're running behind, or something even more disheartening occurs, look to him.

For in all of the wrenches and disappointment, you will find all of the great things he has blessed you with in his grace, in his mercy, in his promise, in eternal life with him.