God’s Faithfulness in the Small Things

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Since June, I have been searching for a new car. It took a while for me to make up my mind on which car to buy. I must have test drove at least 7 cars. I then narrowed my list down to 3, then 2 and finally, after almost three months, I was down to 1. I was taking my time to look because my car still took me from point A to point B. As I wrote about last week, my check engine light turned on when I was on my way to the bank, which I’ve been meaning to ask about a car loan from for a long while, but kept putting it off. A few days later when I got really serious about buying, the light stopped showing.

I needed to search for the best price and I thought I found it in Los Angeles and that I had to drive down there, but of course I’d rather not do the long drive. I began to be interested in a newer model and couldn’t find a similar car close by, then all of a sudden I felt that I should expand my search by $3k and lo and behold, the same exact car, same color on the exterior and interior, around the same mileage, was an hour and a half drive away from me and, it was almost $2k less than the one in L.A. So I drove over there and they gave me a great deal on a trade in. I had to drive to the bank for the deposit and drive back. When I arrived to the bank, there was no one in line. Then I needed to use the bathroom, my cell phone was dying and I didn’t have a charger. The teller told me that the store next door had a bathroom so I went to the neighboring store and close to the bathroom was a rack of phone chargers. What perfect timing and placement!

It was a long drive and by the time I got back I was tired, hungry and they were about to close. I filled out the paperwork quickly on a tiny screen and thought I saw some numbers that seemed off. I kept thinking about it, started to feel anxious so I prayed, “Lord, I don’t feel good about the numbers, I think something is off. The fees seem way too high. If the numbers are really off and I’m being charged for something that I shouldn’t be changed for, please clear it up. Have the numbers person catch it and let me know. Amen!” My prayer was something like that. Anyhow, the day after, someone called and told me that I was charged for something I shouldn’t have been charged for because my down payment was large enough to not need it. Then I asked him if there were other fees included that were optional and he disclosed another add on. So sad that this place didn’t ask me about adding these additional options, but God bless the guy’s soul who called me about this. If it weren’t for him, that company would look so terrible. Overall, the optional fees taken off totaled to almost $5k.

Even if it’s just material, a car, God was along my side, opening doors, guiding me and after the phone call, wow, I mean…how often would you find someone that honest to do such a thing? I believe the Lord really spoke to him. God’s has been showing me His faithful hand over my life. What may seem like such a small thing, is really a big thing when it comes to the way the whole sequence of events come together and prayers get answered along the way.

Finding Joy in a Desolate Season

Life is great when all is well, but we all know that it’s not always happiness and joy. There are seasons of rain and drought. The passages of scripture in the Bible in the book of Ecclesiastes says that there is a time for everything :

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven: 2A time [a]to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
A time to love,
And a time to hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace.

There have been times of sadness and joy, times when I feel like I’m in a desert, a place with no water to fulfill my thirty soul. There have been times of rejoicing when hopes come into fruition, but in the dry season of life, should there never be any joy?

Moreover, the rain in life that satisfies the thirst for dreams, wishes or goals, doesn’t always quench and coming to realizing once again, the joy inside me.

It’s been a long while, walking through life, trying to put my faith in Christ, when things seem to not go as expected, a waiting pattern that seems to strip hope away day after day. The ever so common question arises, “why God why?

Feeling distant as if God is silent, doubt starts to settle in. Where is He? Is He still listening? Then a series of events within two days happens, each resulting from the next. First, receiving a notification of a compromised account, led to having to get a new card and finally, after searching for a new car for the past month and a half, I finally inquired of a car loan, she told me I was approved and granted the exact amount I was thinking in my head.

In addition, since searching for a car for so long, I wasn’t under pressure because my car was still doing fine, mechanically. Then for the first time, when I turned on my car before going to the bank, my check engine light came on, which was the first time ever.

I had mentioned this to the teller and she told me the exact thing I was thinking, that, “the Lord is telling you to get a new car.” I had been taking my time about purchasing and she mentioned something about having to be under pressure to finally do it, like with the check engine light.

Maybe to most this might not seem like a big deal or coincidence, but having been in seasons of hearing His voice inside of me, then being in a desolate silent desert for long, then once again, the rain comes and that very clear message that God gives, satisfies my soul.

It is like rain drops in the desert, an instant thirst quencher.

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Matthew 4:4

It is the confirmation of His love, undoubtedly letting me know that He’s listening. He’s with me and has not forgotten about me & that alone, is all I need for joy.