Now here’s a fun story! A couple years ago I had some family coming to stay at my house with kiddos. My house is not the most kid-friendly place, so I decided to move some of my favorite breakable objects out of the way. One such object was a mini candle shade that I just adored. I have one for each season, but because of the coastal theme, I found this one to be particularly special so it was among the few select things I decided to put in my linen closet for safekeeping. In the process, it slipped from my fingers and shattered on the floor. In my anguish I cried out, “Noooooooo!!!!” and I’m not ashamed to admit I shed a few tears. I am also not ashamed to admit that in my wide-eyed optimism, I always held out hope that perhaps one day I would stumble across it again at a thrift store, always looking “just in case.”
Yesterday I went to spend the day with my sister Kristin who is visiting from Wisconsin and staying with another sister. Whenever I see my sister Kris she often has a few little things she’s picked up for me that she thinks I might like, which is incredibly sweet and thoughtful. I’m sure you see where this is going, but at the moment you couldn’t predict it if you tried. She brought me out a couple items, one was a wooden lighthouse (neato) and the other was wrapped in brown paper. When I unfolded it, I screamed my head off in surprise at what it revealed — “No way!!!!!” — it was the exact same candle shade! My sister was shocked by my reaction so I told her the whole story (which my other sister knew all about) and now Kris was screaming too. A couple of the kids even came down to find out what was going on. The coincidence was quite astounding, but what fun we had considering all the things that needed to take place to get that little candle jar shade to me.
My sister then recounted some other stories like this that she has heard me tell over the years and said, “I think God is trying to tell you something…it’s like He wants you to know He’s really there and cares.” And that’s what really moves me to tears. Yes, we like to see God in these big moments that are worthy of a Hollywood production, but for me, it’s often the little things like this that show me how intimately well our creator knows us and loves us and takes pleasure in our joy and gratitude. He really does number every hair on our head, but I’m not sure we always get how much He delights in us as His children.
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:26-33)
