Right in Front of Me All the Time

Right in Front of Me All the Time

There are times in our lives when we struggle looking for answers to life’s tough questions.  We search for the solutions to our life’s problems and seek to find meaning in the all of it.  Many times the answers are right in front of us, but we’re so busy searching and seeking, we ignore the obvious.  A recent experience reminded me of this simple fact.

I was going to visit a friend on a sunny afternoon and was running a bit ahead of schedule.  I decided to stop by a convenience store for a soda and while I was there, decided to take my chances on the lottery.  I made my purchases and returned to the road to travel to my destination.  Just before arriving, I wanted to check my cell phone for any messages.  I looked for it in the usual places, but it wasn’t to be found.

I almost immediately was wrapped in fear as I deduced I had put it on the counter back at the store and all sorts of thoughts ran through my head.  Someone had probably picked it up and taken it for their own use.  I would never see it again and would not only have to pay for a replacement, but pay for whatever charges had ensued on the original phone.  I made my way back to the store and asked the clerk if I had left it there and he said no one had turned one in to him.

He then asked for my phone number and proceeded to dial to see if it was somewhere in the store, but to no avail. I asked him to let it keep ringing and made my way back out to my car.  A lovely chime greeted me as I opened the door,,, my phone was wedged in between the driver’s seat and the console.  I returned to thank him for helping me retrieve my phone.

The point that I soon came to realize is that the phone was right in front of me all the time, but I was so wrapped up in worry and fear that I didn’t see it sitting there.  How many times in our lives are we looking for the answers to our problems in all the wrong places, when the answer was sitting there in plain view?   Do we become so carried away with the problem that we overlook the simple solution that has been there all the time?