By Barb Arland-Fye
Editor
My husband Steve and I were returning home last Friday afternoon on Interstate 80 near Joliet when traffic came to a halt. For the next hour and a half, we inched along the road and covered about three miles with no clue about the reason for the traffic jam.
Adding to my frustration and impatience: the device we purchased to keep my laptop charged malfunctioned and now the battery was nearing depletion. While shutting down the laptop, I fretted about the work that needed to be completed. Steve said nothing, concentrating on the stop-and-go traffic.
Finally, the cause of the traffic jam materialized: a semi-tractor trailer had rolled over and the accident blocked three of the four lanes. My negative attitude vanished. I sensed God’s voice reminding me to pray for the victim(s) of that accident and to think about the blessings in my life, all gifts from God, and to respond in gratitude, even when encountering bumps in the road or setbacks.
Pope Francis spoke about gratitude in his midday Angelus this past Sunday, Aug. 18, according to the Vatican News website. He reflected on the Gospel reading (John 6:51-58), in which Jesus tells the crowd, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the world.”
The Holy Father, noting “how Jesus, in speaking of Himself as the ‘bread from heaven,’ is a ‘gift that exceeds all of our expectations.’ … This ‘living and true Bread’ however does not simply solve all of our problems in life, but they give immense hope in our world that often deprives the poor of their daily bread’” (Vatican News, Aug. 18).
Another reminder to give thanks occurred as Steve and I prayed Morning Prayer this past Monday. The reading from Judith (8:25-27) says, “We should be grateful to the Lord our God, for putting us to the test, as he did our forefathers. … Not for vengeance did the Lord put them in the crucible to try their hearts, nor has he done so with us. It is by way of admonition that he chastises those who are close to him.”
OK, the traffic jam is no comparison to the trials of Isaac and Jacob, for example, but the message applies. Even in small trials, I need to strive to be grateful. The next time an ambulance speeds through a busy intersection that requires me to wait another full rotation of traffic signals, I plan to pray for the person(s) in need of emergency assistance and to thank God that I am safe.
My worries about meeting deadlines and people’s expectations sometimes eclipse my appreciation for the gifts from God, such as family, friends, career, health and ready access to the things that allow me to thrive. It is far too easy to become immersed in the challenges that come my way or that I create! However, God offers reminders on this pilgrim journey — unexpected traffic jams — that cause me to reflect on the many reasons to be grateful.
(Contact Editor Barb Arland-Fye@davenportdiocese.org)
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