In this reflective short, the speaker recounts gifting an RC truck to his father‑in‑law for his birthday, noting how the older man would occasionally get the truck stuck and needed a different visual angle to free it. The speaker helped by pointing out unseen obstacles, allowing the father‑in‑law to solve the problem himself. This anecdote becomes a metaphor for life: when we feel stuck, a shift in perspective—often offered by another person—can reveal the solution. The speaker ties this insight to his practice of journaling, which forces him to slow down and view situations from new angles, and to his calling as a coach, where he facilitates similar perspective shifts for others. He also references Psalm 18:36, interpreting the verse as a promise of divine guidance that prevents us from “giving way,” reinforcing the theme that small adjustments can unblock our path. The piece blends personal family moments, a simple toy, and spiritual reflection to illustrate how minor changes in viewpoint can lead to significant life breakthroughs.
Chapters
So what does my journal, an RC car, and my father-in-law have in common? So this morning I sat down to journal and I found myself thinking about something that happened yesterday. For his birthday, Brooks and I decided to get my father-in-law an RC car. Now RC cars are something that I've recently introduced Brooks to, and she's been having a lot of fun with it. We've been doing dates with it, so we figured that we would bring her dad into some of the fun. And I gotta tell you, he had a blast. But every once in a while, he would get the truck stuck. I'd walk over, point out one or two things that he wasn't seeing, and that was usually all it took. You know, I didn't drive it for him. I didn't tell him exactly what to do. I just helped him see what he couldn't see from the angle that he was standing at. Then he'd figure it out, get himself unstuck, and then we keep going and having a lot of fun. You know what? Afterwards, after an awesome pork rib dinner that my brother-in-law made and a birthday cake that Brooks made and just family all around, my other brother-in-law and his wife around, he sat there admiring that little truck, asking questions, and he was ready for his next adventure. So this morning when I got out here to journal, This is what popped in my mind because I realized that a lot of life is just like that. Sometimes we're stuck. Sometimes we need someone to help us discover that answer. Sometimes we just need someone standing at a different angle who can help us see what we can't see from the place that we're at. And that's one of the reasons why I love to journal and definitely why I feel called to coaching. Journaling, that forces me to slow down, change my angle, and see what's actually there. Coaching gives me an opportunity to allow others to do the same thing. Psalms 18:36 says that you provide a path for my feet so that my ankles do not give way. And now I know that doesn't Totally relate to playing with an RC toy truck, but it does relate to the paths in life that we can take and we can go down. And it reminds us that sometimes the answer isn't somewhere out there. Sometimes it's just getting unstuck about it and not having to have the whole thing figured out. It's about finding enough room to move again. It's a little perspective. It's a better line. It's one small adjustment. And funny how a toy truck can remind you of something that is that big.
