Today while I was visiting the hospital, I could feel a headache coming on and felt the need for a Diet Pepsi.  I found a vending machine and put in my dollar and then when I got ready to put in my other dollar for the $1.25 drink, it would not take my dollar.  I tried again and again and again, but with no luck.  I noticed that two senior adult ladies were watching and getting quite a kick out of watching this motorcycle dude having a hard time with the drink machine.

I walked over to ask them if either of them had four quarters.  I thought since the machine would not take my dollar, that maybe it would take quarters.  I got the quarters and tried each one at least twice and they ran right through it.  I then got the idea that maybe the machine was full of dollars and could not take anymore and maybe it was full of quarters, so I asked my new lady friends if they had two dimes and a nickel for a quarter.

I tried the dime and bingo, it made it in!  Now one more dime and nickel accepted and I would be enjoying a cool Diet Pepsi!  The machine would not take another dime, nor would it take the nickel.  I ended up having to trek across to the other side of the hospital to get a refund.  I met a very nice young African-American girl and when I got my refund, I headed over to the other side of the hospital, to the emergency section, because I was sure the drink machines would work there – they did and I got my Diet Pepsi!

I sat there and enjoyed my Diet Pepsi and a pack of crackers and then headed back to see the family that I was visiting and just so happened to run into an old ministry friend.  We talked, shared, caught up and encouraged one another and we both felt better about life and our ministries, because we had the time together!

Now what is the moral of this story?  I typically would have become unglued, frustrated, discouraged and missed a lot of blessings along the way, because I would have been too focused on things not working the way I wanted them to, and less focused on everything around me!

Today I did not miss those blessings, because I stayed calm and took in every moment!  I met some nice senior adult ladies and I made them smile and they made me smile too!  I met a nice young African-American girl and had a very encouraging conversation that I think blessed both of us.  I had an encounter with an old friend that made my life better and I think made his better too!

Rather than get impatient, I stayed calm and got the most out of every moment and it was all good!  God is always at work and today, He let me see how He works in the most simple and powerful of ways.  He is interested in every part of my life and that is so very cool!  All I wanted was a Diet Pepesi and I ended up with my Diet Pepsi, a pack of crackers and a whole lot more!