When Life Tosses You a Chicken Wing

Like me, we’ve all had those days where everything seems to go wrong. The kind of day where you just shake your head and say, “It’s just one of those days… life is like that sometimes.”

Because it is, isn’t it?

One moment, everything is flowing. The kids are doing what they’re supposed to do. The bills are paid. There’s a sense of calm, like all is right in your world—not a cloud in the sky.

And then… wham.

Out of nowhere, something shifts. Maybe it’s one phone call, one unexpected bill, one piece of bad news, or just a pile-up of little things that suddenly feel too heavy. And just like that, you’re knocked off balance.

It’s jarring. It’s frustrating. And if we’re honest—it can feel unfair.

Which reminds me…

A couple of weeks ago, my youngest daughter Faith—she’s a Special Ed teacher—came home and told me a story that I can’t seem to shake.

She said one of her students walked into class that day, went right up to her co-teacher’s desk… and tossed a foil-wrapped chicken wing onto it.

No explanation. No words. Just dropped it there and kept it moving.

Now tell me that wouldn’t make you pause.

Because what do you even do with that?

After we laughed (because you have to laugh at moments like that), I kept thinking about it. And the more I thought about it, the more it felt like… a lesson.

Isn’t that just like life?

Everything can look neat and in order—wrapped up tight, predictable, manageable—like that little foil-wrapped chicken wing. You think you’ve got things figured out. You’re moving along just fine.

And then out of nowhere…

Something gets tossed onto your desk.

No warning. No explanation. No instructions on what to do with it.

Just sitting there, disrupting your moment.

And it gets even funnier.

Once word got around to the other grade levels about what happened, the other teachers started quietly joining in. Each morning, someone would sneak a small wrapped item, a piece of broccoli, a wrapped mini cucumber, etc. you get the picture, onto that teacher’s desk.

No announcements. No explanations. Just a growing collection of random little things showing up day after day.

At that point, you almost have to laugh… because what started as one unexpected moment turned into a daily reminder.

And the more I thought about it, the more it stayed with me.

Maybe that repeated “object lesson” wasn’t just for my daughter and her co-teacher.

Maybe it was for all of us.

Because if we’re honest, we can be so focused on the big things—the big problems, the big plans, the big prayers—that we miss the small, quiet moments God places right in front of us.

The little nudges.
The unexpected interruptions.
The seemingly random drop-offs in our day.

The very things we’re tempted to overlook… might actually be where God is speaking the loudest.

But if we’re not paying attention, we’ll miss it.

We’ll brush it off as nothing.
We’ll laugh and move on.
We’ll keep rushing through our day.

And all the while, those small moments—those little “items on the desk”—are gently trying to get our attention.

Maybe they’re reminders.
Maybe they’re lessons.
Maybe they’re invitations to pause, reflect, or even shift direction.

But whatever they are, they’re not accidental.

So maybe the question isn’t, “Why is this happening?”

Maybe it’s, “What am I supposed to notice?”

Because sometimes, God doesn’t shout.

Sometimes… He just places something small in front of you and waits to see if you’ll see it.

Mama Wisdom:
Don’t miss God looking for you in the little things… just because you were waiting on something big.