I used to have a quiet spot in a Walmart parking lot where I would talk to God. I still talk to Him, but now our favorite place is by a lake. It’s been almost three years since I moved to this new home, and recently, I found myself thinking about the goals we set together during those parking lot conversations.

I felt a little guilty—I hadn’t followed through on much of what I intended to stay consistent with. So I thought, maybe it was time to revisit that old spot and give myself a fresh reminder to start  my engine again.

It was raining heavily that morning, and I usually have a late breakfast or lunch. As I sat in my cold car, letting the heater warm up, the thought of a warm McDonald’s Sausage McMuffin crossed my mind. A powerful thought, clearly—because a few minutes later, I was in the drive-thru, at that same Walmart parking lot.

I ordered just one. I had thought of my son, who was still home, studying in his room. Then came the familiar voice:
“Ma’am, would you like to add one more for just a dollar extra?”
“Sure,” I said. Why not take one home for my son?

It felt blissful—biting into that warm, soft McMuffin, listening to worship music, while rain poured gently outside. The only issue? My Bible still sat unopened in my bag, and that second McMuffin was now staring at me.

Thoughts began swirling:
“It’ll be cold by the time I get home.”
“Anyway, it’s never as good once it’s not fresh.”
“I could always grab two more on the way back…”

Next thing I knew, the second McMuffin had vanished too.

Eventually, I opened my Bible and sank into time with God. And just like that, time flew by.

Driving home, it hit me—I’d completely forgotten to save the McMuffin for my son.
“Well, at least he’ll have a healthier breakfast,” I told myself, half-convincingly.

When I walked into the kitchen, I saw something sitting on the counter that made me pause—a brand-new mini waffle maker. My son had left it out the night before. I had bought it months ago and forgotten all about it. Apparently, he hadn’t. He had asked me to make waffles for breakfast, and I’d promised I would.

How could I forget?

I quickly grabbed the mix, added water, and preheated the waffle maker. Within minutes, two beautifully browned, square waffles were on a plate, topped with a little butter, whipped cream, and maple syrup.

It wasn’t exactly the “healthy breakfast” I had just rationalized, but it felt right for the soul. Especially after eating breakfast without him—and forgetting the one I meant to bring home.

Then he walked into the kitchen.
“What about you, Mom? Where are your waffles?”
“Oh, I just had my breakfast at McDonald’s,” I replied.
He grinned. “Oh! So these are guilty waffles, huh?”

It was like he could read my thoughts.

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Thoughts are powerful, friends.
The Bible tells us to “take every thought captive and bring it to the obedience of Christ.”

Oh, if only we could do that with every thought. Imagine how disciplined, wise, and powerful we would be—truly walking in step with our orderly, loving God.

But the truth is, our thoughts often run wild. No blinders to have a monomaniacal vision nor reins to control the speed at which they  bombard us.

Sometimes we replay our past mistakes—the ones we’ve spent years trying to move on from. We remember people who hurt us, abandoned us, lied, cheated, or walked away like we never mattered. Maybe  we’ve forgiven them in theory, but have we really forgotten? Sometimes it is disappointments, deviations and lost dreams that haunt us as thoughts.

It only takes one fleeting thought—a flash of memory, a single word, a familiar feeling—for the pain to rush back in. It can even physically affect us to make our muscles  tensed, shift uncomfortably, or even change our respiratory and heart rates.  We can let it pass by like the whimsical swallow bird who is here a moment and there or better still replace it with a preplanned ready made pleasant thought.  But most of us choose to  dwell on that negative thought.   And just like that, our whole day is colored by it. Sometimes, we don’t even realize how it spills over to set the tone for the day and  how we treat those come in contact with us. They don’t know what’s going on in our heads. Only we do.

Then there are the thoughts about the future.
What will I do? What’s my plan five years from now? What happens when I’m 80?
Yet Jesus reminds us not to worry about tomorrow—we can’t even add a single moment to our lives. The Scriptures ask: Why build bigger barns to store up what you might not even live to enjoy if you die tonight? (Luke 12)

And let’s not forget the noise of the daily “now”—the to-do lists, the hustle and the bustle, the constant motion. Someone said recently that there’s no such thing as “now”—it’s not a frozen moment but a moving timeline.

The real challenge is: Can we stay present in this ever-moving “now” moment?
Can we hold the hand of our Almighty Father and let Him lead us—healing the past, guiding  the uncertain future, and keeping us steady in the now?

The best thing we can do is be aware of our thoughts. Catch them. Surrender them. Let God redirect them. Can we give Him the reins of our thought life by capturing and surrendering every thought to Christ.  Otherwise, they will steer us off course from walking in step with Him.

I believe that when we walk this life hand-in-hand with Him—not putting our hand in His Hand out of guilt or obligation, but out of love and trust—it brings joy to the Father’s heart that we truly understand His heart and thoughts towards us.

And truly, I think you will agree with me that a waffle made out of a mother’s love tastes better than one made out of guilt!

Scriptures

2 CORINTHIANS 10:5

⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Psalm139: 23-24

²³ Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.