A spirit of thankfulness came over me. “Thank you, God, for this fresh air!” Then I passed skunk road-kill that putrefied things a bit. Ah, such is life…it’s complicated. But that odor didn’t last long. Unpleasant things always pass. They always do. I waited it out, and sure enough I was embraced by fresh air once more. In that moment I could actually hear myself think—and all I wanted to do was thank God for that 5-minute vacation.

Prayers impart strength. Mini vacations, sanity.

It’s not easy for me to ask for help when needed. Equally so, it’s not easy for me to accept help when offered. These past ten days have produced scary moments between my son’s extended illness and my husband’s surgery and complications thereof. I’ve run on fumes. Even those fumes were dissipating fast. I couldn’t think beyond my dominating heart that seemed to pound right out of my chest.

I held a silent prayer in that beating heart. God heard. Two hours later, some dear friends insisted on stepping in so I could have a break. “Please, let us do this,” they offered. As I started to decline, I felt a divine nudge that said, “Now, now, you asked me and I’ve provided. You’d better say yes.” I did. In fact, I broke down and cried with a heart full of gratitude, rested, and got refueled, ready for anything. Today hasn’t provided much change from yesterday in circumstances, yet my spirit is renewed—thanks to dear ones who answered my private prayer, vessels of a miracle moment.

Experiencing a midweek slump?

This might enliven things a bit.