Katie and Zachary grinned at each other as their family rode the elevator to the observation deck of the tallest building in Chicago. Their ears popped as they whizzed past floor after floor, going higher and higher. When they got off the elevator, Katie and Zachary ran to the window to look out at the view below. "Everything looks so tiny!" Katie exclaimed. "The cars look like toys."

Zachary laughed. "Yeah, and the highways look like black snakes sneaking in and out of the city."

"You can see a long way from here!" exclaimed Katie. "Look at all those boats on the lake."She turned to her parents. "How far can we see?" she asked.

"I don't know, but it's a long, long way," agreed Dad.

Zachary pointed back to the street. "See that red car right below us?" he asked. "It keeps changing lanes, trying to get ahead of everyone else."

Dad nodded. "That driver is foolishly and dangerously passing everyone! But look way up ahead of him. The traffic is stopped, and he'll have to stop, too."

"Too bad he can't see the road ahead like we can," said Katie. "Then he'd know he might as well slow down."

"He reminds me of myself," murmured Dad.

"Of yourself? Why?" asked Zachary, and the others looked at Dad curiously, too. "You don't pass everybody on the road," Zachary added.

Dad smiled. "No. No, I was just thinking about how I'm not always patient when things don't go just the way I'd like them to," he explained. "I know God has a plan for my life, but sometimes I try to hurry ahead and work things out my own way. Then I complain when they don't go right, in my opinion, that is."

"I'm afraid we're all guilty of that," said Mom. "We need to remember that God always has a purpose for any delay. His ways and timing are best. He has a higher view than we do. He knows what's up ahead."

Zachary, who was still watching the red car, grinned. "That guy didn't," he said, "but he knows now. He got stopped by a policeman who was up ahead of him."

Dad smiled. "Next time I get impatient," he said, "I'll try to remember what happened to that driver."

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you remain cheerful if things don’t go the way you’d like? For example, how about when an activity is cancelled because of bad weather? Or when you lose in a game? Do you keep a positive attitude when you or someone close to you gets sick? Or when your best friend moves away? Remember that God knows what’s ahead of you in life. Trust Him to work everything—big or small—for your good. Notice what He says in today’s Key Verse, and remember that His way is always best.

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Isaiah 55:9)
My ways (are) higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.