One year after the September 11, 2001 tragedy, a quiet little note appeared in a U.S. newspaper.
It wasn’t loud or dramatic—just simple… and unforgettable.

It read:

“You may have heard about the CEO of a major company who survived the attacks because it was his turn to take his child to preschool.
Another man lived because it was his day to bring donuts.
One woman was late because her alarm clock didn’t go off.
Someone got stuck in traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike.
Another missed the bus.
One spilled coffee on her blouse and had to change.
One person’s car wouldn’t start.
Someone went back to answer a phone call.
Another’s child took too long getting ready.
One simply couldn’t catch a cab.

But the one that struck me most… was a man who survived because he wore new shoes that day.
They gave him a blister, so he stopped at a pharmacy to buy a bandage.
That’s why he lived.”

Now, whenever I’m stuck in traffic, miss the elevator, go back home for my keys, or pick up a call at the last moment…
I stop and think—
Maybe I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
Maybe this delay is protection I’ll never know about.

So the next time your morning feels “off”—
The kids are slow,
You can’t find your keys,
Or you hit every red light—
Don’t stress. Don’t get angry.

Maybe… just maybe… God is quietly protecting you in ways you can’t yet see.