Today's 'Light Affliction'

I would rather be reading than trying to write with all the things that are on my mind right now. I read the Psalms on Sundays and I am in Psalm 119 which is very long. But it reminds me of how important it is for me to stay in God's word and try to discern what he is saying on a daily basis. I am sure that those of us who love reading have a certain tendency toward escapism. Whether we love reading the Bible, other books or both, I believe we like removing ourselves from the trials that assail us. A woman I was in a near catastrophic auto accident with in the rain several years ago used to say quite often, "There's always something," and I remember those words from time to time. Wouldn't we sometimes like to be anywhere else but where we are, experiencing anything else but what we're experiencing? I'm sure you do too. Someone's voice saying those very words are likely ringing in your ears at this very moment. In fact, my mother used to say it too. I might as well tell you about the accident. A colleague and I were traveling in a rental car to some conference a few miles away in Missouri and it was raining. I had brought some grapes and my colleague, who was driving, reached over for a few grapes, we slid in the rain and started to roll (someone said they saw the car roll over seven times). I just remember shouting "Jesus!" at the top of my lungs the whole time until we stopped rolling and landed upside down on the highway. We were both obviously pretty shaken by the whole thing, but it all worked out; we rented another car and returned home. I have no recollection of what the conference was about So that was our "light affliction" for that day. Today my "light affliction" is my glove box won't open. I will have to deal with it tomorrow. Even though it was Sunday, I went to two auto parts stores and one garage this afternoon that were open. I just paid nearly $1,000 dollars to have work done on my car, so I'm not thrilled at the prospect of paying more hundreds of dollars at the dealership getting this work done, not to mention spending hours in their establishment waiting, waiting and more waiting. In addition to the parts stores and garage I stopped at, a good friend's husband took a look at it and tried things that didn't work. Just one more thing, my apartment maintenance guy said sometime this week he would take a look at it. He's pretty handy, pretty good at figuring things out, but I think, unfortunately, I am likely looking at a garage or the dealership having to tear up the dashboard to get to the problem and that is going to be expensive. I have to call the car insurance office again for another copy of my proof of insurance now, though. That's the main thing. Other than that...I suppose the whole thing can wait a few days. I love the words from the fourth chapter of Second Corinthians where Paul says not to lose heart..."For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (verses 17 and 18). And so, with that, I'm going to try to go read a little bit. Goodnight.