This is how life often plays out—we can see our blessings, even feel their closeness, yet we can’t lay hold of them because of physical or spiritual barriers.
Life is a teacher—it teaches only those who are willing to learn and understand the mysteries embedded in it. If you’ve come across this piece, I implore you to read it to the end. There are deep and timeless lessons to be drawn from this real-life experience.
This incident happened to a member of my church shortly after our Friday evening service. Her son had unknowingly locked the only car key inside the car. Everyone present was troubled. We could clearly see the key lying on the back seat, yet we were helpless to retrieve it. All the windows had been fully wound up—except one, which had a very small opening.
At that moment, something struck my mind: This is how life often plays out—we can see our blessings, even feel their closeness, yet we can’t lay hold of them because of physical or spiritual barriers.
Various suggestions and counsels were offered on how to retrieve the key, but none yielded the desired result. Isn’t that just like life? People give advice with good intentions, but sometimes, those counsels only lead to more confusion—and worse still, to mistakes that complicate our journey.
We tried using a long wire through the small opening to unlock the car, but it was a fruitless effort. Many paths in life may appear right, but they only end up complicating the journey. Proverbs 14:12 puts it perfectly: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
A call was placed to an expert locksmith, but he told her to wait until the next day—it was already late. Another lesson came to mind: Sometimes in life, our access to helpers is delayed or even completely cut off by situations beyond our control.
We tried entwining wires together to strengthen them, but they were too weak to latch onto the lock. Again, it hit me: This is how many people use the wrong tools—wrong strategies, wrong associations, wrong approaches—to solve life’s issues. The result is usually frustration, disappointment, and pain.
At some point, the car owner became tired and overwhelmed. People kept offering encouragement, but she had almost given up. That’s how life is—when we’re worn out, loved ones may speak words of comfort, but those words don’t always remove the burden we carry.
Then someone brought a long iron rod. Miraculously, the rod hooked the key! But as they tried to pull it up, the key slipped and fell into a hidden corner of the car. Another deep thought came: Many people miss their moment of breakthrough at the very edge of success. It is possible to fall short right at the verge of your miracle if you give in to frustration or miscalculate your next move.
Hope was almost lost. But at the last minute, another brother arrived with a rod that had an anchor attached. With a steady hand, he inserted it through the narrow opening and hooked the car door lock. Click! The door opened. The joy in the air was indescribable. What we had struggled with for over an hour—trying various methods with no result—was solved by someone who arrived when everyone had nearly given up.
The lesson? Life may not always treat you like a king or queen, but your expectation is the key to your manifestation. Never allow the delay, discouragement, or detour to define your destiny. Keep hope alive. Keep trying. Keep believing.
Failures are part of the process—but if you don’t give up, you will succeed eventually. Just like the car key was finally retrieved, your blessings—no matter how long they seem locked away—can still be yours.
Reflections on Life
- Life has no provision for the idle. If you refuse to grow, learn, or work, life will pass you by.
- Relevance is not sustained by yesterday’s success. That’s why wise and successful people are always learning, evolving, and pushing forward.
- Your mindset determines your progress. Expectation fuels persistence. Persistence brings clarity. Clarity births results.
Let this story remind you: There is always a way out. No matter how tight, how hidden, how frustrating, or how impossible your situation seems—keep seeking, keep trying, keep trusting. The breakthrough you seek may come at the very moment you least expect it.