We were just a few miles from home, travelling the straight road my nephew once identified as “the middle of nowhere.” We were singing, laughing, telling stories…just being our goofy selves. Without warning, something was right in front of us in the road. It was waddling in a confused circle. We had no time to swerve, nowhere to go. As we drove over it, we realized what it was. I steadied the wheel. We held our breath.

For the brief moment that seemed to consume several minutes, we drove over a skunk!

I pictured it running around under the van. I waited to hear the thud of it hitting a wheel. I anticipated the stench. But there was no thud and no stench.

We looked at each other and finally exhaled.

That was a skunk!

How did we not hit that?

That was bizarre!

I  don’t remember anything from that stretch of road except for the skunk running in convoluted circles. I thought of the “could haves” and was thankful for the “didn’ts.” Crisis averted.

Years ago, driving home from a college class, I ran over a possum. When I looked in my rearview mirror, I saw the babies scurrying from their dead mama’s pouch. Crisis not averted. I was devastated.

When has something happened so quickly in life that you held your breath through the crisis? You knew there was a  potential mess coming, but you weren’t sure what would actually happen.

• Would the relationship survive?
• Would you choose the right response?
• Would you be able to handle the potential mess?
• Would you be part of the problem or part of the solution?

We can’t avoid every crisis. We don’t have that much power or control. If you’ve never heard it before, let me break the news to you: You’re not the center of the universe, and all does not revolve around you. In fact, I challenge you to find any aspect of life that revolves around you. Go ahead…

Your job? No.

Your health? No.

Your schedule? No.

Your relationships? Absolutely not!

Sure, you have influence in all these areas. You have responsibilities, but you’re not at the center. If you find something you think revolves around you, I challenge you to accept you only perceive yourself as the center of the universe in that area. God didn’t create you to be the center of anything. He fills that role just fine!

You can take driver’s education, practice safe driving, and remain alert. But a skunk (or possum, moose, deer, or bird) can quickly cross your path at anytime.

When “could have” becomes “just did,” how do you respond?

In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness. 2 Peter 1:5-6