Tears burned my eyes as I looked at the picture. I was overwhelmed by the goodness of God. Just an hour before, I had been on the phone with my daughter; catching up as she walked to her first class. I heard a small grunt and then there was silence. She had tripped over the uneven sidewalk. She was okay, but her sandals were not so fortunate. She was already on campus and needed to get to class so there was no time to go home for a functioning pair of shoes. She tried calling a roommate to see if she could bring a pair, but there was no answer. So off to class she went, knowing that she had to make time between classes to go home.
In the scheme of things, it wasn’t a devastating event; more of a frustration. But isn’t that what life throws at us most of the time? Little irritations and frustrations. Situations that interrupt our schedules. Situations that make us change plans. Situations that cause disruption to all that we’re juggling.
It’s in those times that even the smallest, kind gesture can make all the difference. That’s where the picture comes in. When my daughter got back to her house, she found a note and some chocolate.
Her roommate was sorry that she couldn’t help, but hoped that her day would get better.
It made my daughter cry.
Her caption for the picture when she sent it was, “my roommates are the best!”
As the tears started welling up, I couldn’t help but think about how good God is! How he had so graciously provided loving, encouraging roommates for my daughter.
It also reminded me of how God concerns himself with the details of our lives, even those irritations of life. I find that when big, overwhelming circumstances arise, I automatically call out to God. But with the smaller ones, I try handling them on my own thinking they are just the annoyances of life and I should just suck it up. The trouble is, I don’t always deal with them well. I let them add up until I am overwhelmed, irritable, and weary. The kind of weary that makes you just want to go back to bed, pull the covers up over your head, and hope the world goes away.
But that’s not what God wants for me. He wants to be part of the details. He wants me to call out to Him in those minor irritations and frustrations. He may not remove or fix the problem. (My daughter’s shoe was still broken and she sill had to make time to go home for a new pair.) But He will certainly give me strength, wisdom, and peace during those times if I ask.
And sometimes He’ll even give the gift of chocolate. That extra sweet, melt in your mouth chunk of goodness that says, I see you and I’m here….
P.S. Another daughter was having a bad day so this is what her friend gave her…. I’m telling you, chocolate is truly a gift from God!
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