31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
Luke 15:31-32
Mondays can be rough. Even with the best attitude, things seem to just come and hit you out of nowhere on Mondays-at least for me. This last Monday I woke up feeling well rested and ready to go. I had a great morning at work and two of my classes for the afternoon had been cancelled. I got home from work and was going to do the homework that was due for the one class I needed to go to that afternoon (I know it was last minute, but such is life). I got out my computer, hoping I could get it finished before I went to grab lunch with my boyfriend.
Obstacle 1: Computer problems. Here is a little bit of background information: I am not technologically savvy and use my computer for the basics. A few Mondays ago, on the same day that my car broke down, my computer shut down and would not work and I had to have a friend take me to the store to have it checked out. So I opened my computer to do this homework and lo and behold it’s restarting (like “please choose your language” restarting). Nooo. Before I get that all figured out, my boyfriend shows up and I decide this is a problem better dealt with after lunch.
Obstacle 2: Finances. It’s the beginning of another wonderful month, which means bills and rent are due. With that, my roommates informed me we had some other pet-related expenses and the financial strain builds. It always seems like it hits all at once. In an effort to combat the stress and deal with the overwhelming feeling sinking in, I decided to go for a run. Endorphins and music will solve my problems, right?
Obstacle 3: My red bicycle. That brings me to the final Monday struggle I could handle (if we can call calling my parents and breaking down handling it). I return from my run and notice that my bike is missing from the bike rack that it was so nicely locked up to. There are two other bikes there, but mine is somehow not. Stolen. What you don’t realize is that my bike has had a flat tire for a while. Who wants to steal a bicycle with a flat tire?! I am appalled and overwhelmed.
Mondays are rough.
Now let me tell you a little bit about the redemption and faithfulness of my Savior that I have seen and experienced this week. I was somehow able to restart my computer without losing all the information and projects that I had been working on. This may seem like a simple accomplishment that isn’t really that big of a deal. However, as a senior in college with most of the semester behind me and some major things due in the next few weeks and as a technologically-challenged individual, I would have to disagree and say that only the Lord could provide that blessing. Then as I reported that my bike was stolen to the office of my apartment complex for the second time, the maintenance man comes out and lets me know that they have my bike in storage because they thought that someone may have left it when they moved out (it is pretty sorry looking with two flat tires and being left outside through a hurricane, but I’ll claim it). He apologized for breaking my lock and brought my bike home to me. Needless to say, Tuesday was a great day!
As I’ve been thinking back on Monday for the last two days, I realized that God is even more joyous when one of His children comes home to Him than I was when I got my bike, and I was exuberant. My bicycle looked abandoned: it has two flat tires, the paint is chipping and getting rusty, and the seat is very weathered. Its been worn down by the storms of life (literally a hurricane) and many people would get rid of it. It appears worthless. But to me, it turned my week around. Its worth went far beyond its appearance or actual monetary value; past the worth that someone else may give it. It is invaluable to me. Likewise, no matter what storms we may have gone through, what scars or rust we may carry with us, and regardless of whether someone else considers us abandoned and worthless, God thinks we are invaluable. He loves us in spite of our mistakes and baggage and simply wants us to return to Him.
And that’s how my Monday turned into a two-wheeled story of redemption.
Writer Bio
Shelby is a Senior Elementary Education major with a Spanish minor. She works as a barista and spends mornings in a 2nd grade class as a student teacher. As an Air Force brat, she has moved all around the United States and traveled to several other countries. In her free time, Shelby loves spending time with her family, adventuring with her boyfriend, and making memories with her friends. In every area of her life, God comes first, although she has to remind herself to trust Him in every situation. Through writing, Shelby hopes to show people the great grace of her Savior and how to live life to the fullest.
