On Friday I had a presentation in Camden, NJ for UrbanPromise International. I finished around 5:15 p.m. and started home. I knew Route 130 at rush hour on a Friday night was not going to be good and it did not disappoint. Everyone was jockeying for a better position, leaving very little margin for error. Unfortunately, I got behind a bus that had stopped to pick up passengers—well, one passenger.

At first I wasn’t even paying attention to the bus, I was looking for a way around him. But once I realized I was wedged in, I had no choice but to wait. Then I started to wonder why it was taking so long. When I finally saw the cause for the delay, my focus on rushing home instantly dissipated. It was a young man in a wheelchair.

This man was waiting for a bus at this dangerous intersection in Pennsauken, NJ. The bus driver got out of the bus and attached a ramp to help him onto the bus. Then the driver dismantled the ramp, returning it to the underbelly of the bus, and assumed his role as driver. I couldn’t help but think how challenging this man’s life must be. And I was worried about rush hour?

Think about your challenges for a minute. Challenges are real and I am not trying to minimize them. Will you also take a minute to think about your blessings? Our challenges will always be front and center, but what if we took some time every day to put our blessing front and center as well. They deserve the spotlight too.

With Gratitude,
Beth