Gum on Your Shoe

Have you ever stepped on a gooey wad of gum? Awkward, right? But on one occasion, I didn’t mind some gum on my shoe. My husband and I visited a waterfront park, where a grey mass lodged itself on my sole just as we were about to leave. While I tried to scrape it off, a symphony of oohs and aahs drew our gaze beyond the dock. There in the sun-strewn waves, dolphins entertained a happy crowd. Tom looked at me and said, “Good thing you got that gum on your shoe or we would have missed this.”

He was right. While I focused on the gum, a treasure was in the making right in front of us. Fortunately, thanks to the delay, we were able to enjoy a stunning experience. Who isn’t enthralled by the athletic and graceful antics of dolphins?

Sometimes we feel stuck, don’t we? Life has a way of dishing out frustrations like stubborn circumstances, strained relationships, injuries or illness. But at such moments, a treasure may be on its way. Beauty abounds on planet earth, blessings surprise us, relationships recover, and bodies heal. We just need to look up, trust God, remove or deal with the obstacle as best we can, and open our eyes.

The next time you get that gum-on-your-shoe stuck feeling, be thankful. It could be a step in the right direction, and you won’t miss something wonderful in the making.