This month at the CW blog chain, we’re talking about Discovery. There have been some terrific posts on the topic; I encourage you to check them out via my CW Blog Chain page when you’re done here.

In recent weeks, I’ve been rediscovering a few things. As some of you know, we have a family event today. My niece and her groom are having a Hallowedding, a wedding with a big Halloween party for the reception. Costuming is strongly encouraged, and I’ve enjoyed working on my own and several other outfits. Stay tuned; I might post a pic or two in the next couple of days.

What have I rediscovered in the process of gearing up for this wedding?

• I like painting my nails and putting on makeup if it’s for a “dress-up/make-believe” occasion, but not for everyday life. Apparently I prefer creating and portraying characters over enhancing my natural attractions. What, a writer who likes to create characters? Who’d a-thunk it?
• I enjoy making a costume more than buying one. I’ve often suspected I’m a custom gal in a ready-to-wear world, and this just confirms it.
• I can get highly impatient when life doesn’t move at the pace I’d like it to, but I somehow have no trouble spending hours in a creative endeavor. Slow traffic? I’m on the edge of road rage. Missed crochet stitches? No biggie – I’ll just rip out to the point of the mistake and redo it.

Beyond the wedding, I’ve had opportunities to rediscover some broader truths. The temporary staffing assignment I was working ended without a permanent offer, so I’ve been job hunting for the last month. As bills demand to be paid, I have to constantly turn my eyes to God for reassurance.

So I do. I keep praying and reminding myself that God has a plan for me, to prosper and not to harm me, a plan to give me hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11 in the Bible). I also recall the scripture that says God shall supply all my needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

And just when I start breathing normally again and stop gnashing my teeth in my sleep, what happens? I start the Cavalier, shift into Reverse to back out of the driveway, get into the street and shift into Drive – and keep rolling backwards. The shift cable linkage on my 7-year-old car has broken. I’m in the middle of oncoming traffic with my right foot on the brake and my left arm out the window waving people around me until my family can come out and stop traffic while I drive in Reverse into the neighbor’s driveway.

What truths did this allow me to rediscover?

• When I say I’m going to trust God to take care of things, often something new will happen. I see it as a life pop quiz; my commitment to what I say I will do is being tested.  It’s as if God is whispering, “Will you trust Me to deal with things no matter how bad they get? Will you keep your eyes on Me instead of the wind and waves of your storm? Will you come for a walk with Me, even if by all natural logic the surface we’re walking on shouldn’t support you? Will you?”
• Adversities are also a test of my spiritual eyesight. Like with an eye chart in a vision center (yes, I get my glasses at Walmart), the content and clarity of my view depend on my focus. I can be unhappy because the breakdown happened while I’m unemployed, or I can be thankful it happened in front of our house and not the Walmart parking lot. I can grumble about having to spend money I don’t have to get my car out of the neighbor’s front yard, or I can be grateful the young man joining our family today also has a Cavalier and knows how to fix my problem without my having to get the car towed to the nearest mechanic.
• As much as we get on each others’ nerves sometimes, my family is a true blessing. They offer help when needed, know when not to give unwanted advice, and try to lift my spirits when life gets hard and I feel overwhelmed. God gave me a good bunch of folks to travel with through this world.

So yeah, life gets crazy occasionally, usually when it’s least convenient for me. But that’s when I experience the joy of rediscoveries.

How about you? Have you rediscovered anything useful lately?