Patience, Muffins, and a Soul Recharge

Before our trip to Tulsa, I took my car to the dealership for my 45,000-mile checkup. “It’ll take about two hours,” they said. Perfect, I thought — time for a little quiet, a blueberry muffin (complimentary, bless them), and some writing time with my laptop.

I found a cozy corner, coffee beside me, and settled in like I was at a spa for cars. Peaceful. Productive. Until… real life walked in.

First, a woman sat nearby and began chatting through her earbuds at full volume — apparently holding a conversation with someone in another galaxy.

Then came a young mom with her adorable toddler, who quickly turned the waiting room into a one-baby circus. He laughed, squealed, then had a muffin meltdown when his mom cut him off mid-snack.

I decided to relocate to the “quiet cubby” — a little nook for peace and quiet.  Surely this would be peaceful. But no. The man next to me had rock music playing softly (but not softly enough).  

And just as I was trying to compose my blog about patience (of course), my service advisor appeared with a smile and advised that I needed a new battery.  Grand total of this little jaunt for a quick auto check-up -- $500!

At that moment, I realized it wasn’t just my car battery that needed recharging. My attitude did too.

So, I took a deep breath.  Thanked God for the funds to pay the bill and the patience to laugh through the chaos. Because sometimes, God uses waiting rooms, background noise, and slow-charging batteries to remind us: our peace isn’t found in silence — it’s found in Him.

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are stayed on You.” — Isaiah 26:3

Maybe the real checkup wasn’t for my car at all. Maybe it was for my heart.

So, I left that dealership with a new battery under the hood — and a new one in my soul.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10.

Turns out, my car wasn’t the only one that needed a recharge! Sometimes the waiting room becomes the classroom — where patience gets fine-tuned, peace gets restored, and joy gets jump-started.

#FaithInTheWait #PeaceInThePause #SoulRecharge