Collecting Green Lights and Small Graces

God loves me. He really loves me.

Some might call it a coincidence. Some might call it a fluke. I don’t care. I prefer to view it as the Big Guy looking out for me. On my last two flights—one on a Sunday afternoon and the other on a Thursday evening—the middle seat next to me remained empty.

Hallelujah and pass the mid-flight drink and snack.

Oh, you want to pooh-pooh my happiness? You want to say that God doesn’t care about small, trivial things like that? Well, naa, naa, nah to you too. It may be a small thing, but it felt like putting everything on black on the roulette wheel and coming up a winner.

If you had looked at me when the flight door closed, you would have seen the biggest smile. There is a quiet, specific joy in watching the flight attendant seal the aircraft door, looking to your left and right, and realizing that the seat next to you remains gloriously unoccupied. It feels less like random probability and more like a warm, gentle hug saying “Here, take a breath. You’ve earned some elbow room.”

No fighting over the armrest. No small talk. No trying to “sit small” so you don’t bump the next person. Both times, I felt free. And freedom is a beautiful thing.

The airlines like to fill every seat, so for me, those quiet flights felt like little miracles. Was it an earth-shattering event? No, but it certainly raised my spirits—and choosing to celebrate the blessing makes for a much richer journey.

It makes me wonder: what are the other little miracles that quietly raise our spirits? Here are a few of my favorites:

1. The Perfect Green Wave

You’re running on a tight schedule or carrying a heavy mind, and every traffic light ahead turns green just as you approach. No braking, no waiting—just a smooth, uninterrupted path opening before you like a green carpet that says, “Collect Your $200 and Go, go, go.” Who needs a special velvet red carpet when you’ve got a green one leading the way to the Promised Land?

2. The Unplanned Quiet Moment

Stepping outside or walking into a room expected to be loud and bustling, only to find it entirely still. A sudden hush falls over the morning, giving you three uninterrupted minutes to drink coffee while it’s hot or watch the light shift through the trees.

3. Finding the Exact Thing You Forgot You Lost

Reaching into a coat pocket you haven’t worn since last winter and pulling out a folded note, a stray bill, or an old pair of reading glasses. It feels like receiving a thoughtful care package from your past self.

4. The Uncanny Timing of a Small Kindness

Holding a door, having someone catch an elevator right as it’s closing, or receiving a brief text saying “Thinking of you” at the exact minute your day felt a bit heavy. It costs nothing, yet it recalibrates the entire afternoon.

5. Finding the Ultimate Parking Spot

Pulling into a packed lot on a rainy afternoon, only to have a car in the front row put on its reverse lights and pull out right in front of you.

6. The Perfect Ice Cream Scoop Ratio

Ordering a scoop on a hot day and having the server give you that generous, gravity-defying extra crown on top without asking. For a few minutes, as you enjoy it before it melts, all is right with the world.

7. The Song That Hits Right at the Driveway

Turning on the radio just as a favorite track begins—and having it reach its final, triumphant note right as you put the car in park at home.

8. Catching the Sunset by Complete Chance

Stepping away from a screen at the exact minute the horizon ignites into deep oranges and pinks. You didn’t plan to see it, but there it is, staging a full production just for whoever happens to look up.

9. The Book That Catches You Off Guard

Picking up something to read with zero expectations, only to hit a single sentence or passage that feels like it was written specifically to answer a question you’ve been quietly carrying around all week.

It really does come down to perspective. Two people can experience the exact same empty seat—one sees routine airline logistics, and the other sees a personalized blessing.

For me? I prefer to say thank you!

Your turn: What’s one tiny, unexpected blessing that brightened your day this week? Share it below so we can celebrate the small stuff together.