Thirty minutes into Matt’s first excursion on our new lawnmower, the kids and I jump at a loud smack on a nearby window. Lauren starts crying as I realize what just happened, and I run outside like a crazy person trying to get my husband’s attention and direct it toward the collateral damage.

New lawnmower. New hole in the window. New frustration. New ways to spend more money.

That’s one way to see the spiderweb cracks in the window.

I can also choose to see the blessings through the broken glass.

We have double pane windows, and the rock that hurtled toward the house only went through one layer. My daughter was sitting right inside from this window playing Starfall on the computer, and could have been hit by the rock or shattered glass had it just been a single pane. God’s protection in this instance is marked by a broken window.

Believe me, I know life can be frustrating. We go through seasons when what could go wrong does, and we wonder if we’ll ever be able to catch a break.

Maybe the break we need isn’t a way out. God hasn’t left us. His blessings still surround us. We may just have to look through the broken glass rather than at the cracks.

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.

– John 16:33