The Funny Things God Does

I know you're probably tired of hearing it by now, but I'm a little apprehensive about paying my bills this month because I have no money and none coming in (that I know of). Now, that being said, God threw me for a loop yesterday. It was a bit of a rough start to the day because we couldn't convince my 2 1/2 year old daughter that she could not go to Sunday school while still suffering from a cold.

I know, I know, some people would say I have little faith, but Avari has come home with enough germs from the kids in her Sunday school class to prove to me that common sense should prevail by not sending your kid to Sunday school with my kid when they have green snot running from their noses. I'm just saying - have pity on your fellow parents, and don't share the germs. So, anyway, I was trying to prevent a summer cold epidemic. OK, rant over.

It was a good but long morning. Dan took Avari home after worship practice and before service got started. We planned for them to come pick me up afterward because I needed to stay and play guitar for the end of service. We had a wonderful time of prayer and worship that lasted the entire time. I think we just need one of those every once in a while - not all the time - just every so often.

Don't worry; I'm coming to the point of all of this.

Dan picked me up; we loaded my gear in the car and headed for home. As we pulled out of the parking lot, he handed me an envelope. It looked like junk mail to be honest with you. And, no it didn't contain a blank check telling me to write in an amount and pay off all my bills. However, it was a promotional gift card from Guitar Center.

Now, I love me some Guitar Center. It's like Toys 'R Us for musicians. I could spend days in that store and never get tired. Anyway, apparently even they have noticed my recent cash flow issues because they sent me a $25 gift card to be used this weekend along with a letter saying they noticed I hadn't been in the store in a while (a year to be more precise!). According to them, I can use the gift card on the specified days to buy whatever I want - no strings. Well, of course, they figure I'll probably come in and fall in love with a really expensive guitar or some other pricey piece of equipment and spend way over the $25 on the gift card. In the words of one of my favorite cartoon rabbits, Bugs Bunny, "He don't know me very well, do he?"

What's cool is that I get to go spend $25 on something that I don't need, and it doesn't come out of my pocket. Therefore, there is no guilt involved. Isn't that just like Papa? He knows I'm worried about the big things (house payment, light bill, water bill, gas for the car), and He sends me a little something in the mail to show me that He sees even my smallest desires. Just a simple message to say, "Hey, I've got everything under control." I'm so glad that my Father loves me that much.

I'm sure there are those of you who are thinking that I'm getting way to amped up over a $25 gift card that is being used as a gimmicky hook to higher spending at a local store, but I choose to use the glass half full view, thank you very much. You see, I know that the Bible says this in Matthew 7:11:

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

I know that this scripture means so much more than a $25 gift card, but I also know that the larger truth it is pointing to is that God is a much better Father than we could ever dream up on our own. So, I am going to spend that $25 on something that every time I look at it will remind me that Papa is even more detail-oriented than I am. And that's saying something!