
'In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.' Proverbs 16:9
When I left the house this morning, I caught sight of a small snail half way up the glass panel in the back door.

"Blimey," I thought. "Look how far he's got. Just by sheer determination."
It was truly impressive. I left him where he was. I couldn't bear to put all that hard work to waste.
I went off to look at a possible house for me and my kids. As I stood by my car trying to find the address on my phone, a small blue car came speeding down the street and smashed off my side mirror. They never stopped.
I was in shock. "Really?" I thought. "I mean, really?"

I wanted to give up. To burst into tears. To get back in my car and drive home.
But there is no home, that's why I'm out here trying to find one.
So I took a moment, then retrieved the cover of my mirror thrown across the bonnet. It blessedly snapped back on and the mirror snapped back into place.
I wiped my eyes, turned on my heel and walked toward the house I was going to see. Unharmed. Untouched. Still moving.
When I got back to the house where we are, someone had plucked the snail off the door.
Who knows where he is now. All that hard work for nothing.
But then,
he didn't have the kind of protection I've got.
jsg/oct 17