Does Jesus Care? (Part 2)

Last time I wrote, I shared how I had felt the compassion of our Savior when my father passed away unexpectedly on December 28, 2011. But now I want to share how he has recently reminded me that he also cares for me in the day to day events – the minutia of every day moments.

Last week, I had to travel a few hundred miles away for some training for my employment. Since I work for a government agency, documentation is paramount. On this past Monday, I gathered up my receipts and discovered that somehow, between my home and office, my gasoline receipt had gone missing. Now, I am pretty careful of things like that. I knew exactly where I had put it, and it had disappeared. All my other receipts were there, but this one had simply vanished. (I had placed it inside the cover of my Kindle.)

There is a second part to this issue. I have a co-worker, who is supervised by me that is not my biggest fan. She had to absorb the bulk of the work when I was off so much last year, both during my treatment and when I was caring for my husband. She was already frustrated with me, and is not known for being patient when people lose things. That is one of the reasons I am always so careful with my receipts – I have to turn them into her. If one is missing, well; it isn’t a pleasant experience. So I spent Monday – Wednesday frantically looking everywhere for the recalcitrant receipt. I even remembered to pray – daily and often, begging God to please intervene.

This morning I had decided I had to come clean and admit I had lost it. But as I was getting dressed, I was praying about it again, this time asking God to guard my attitude today, and I had the strangest urge to look under my dresser. Now, there is no reason the receipt should have been there – I hadn’t even had my Kindle in the bedroom. But I obeyed. And guess what?

It wasn’t there. That’s right – it wasn’t there. I admit to being a bit confused; usually when I sense such a strong urging from the Spirit – I can figure out what He wants to show me. But I kind of shrugged and continued to get ready. The last thing I did was go into the living room and pick up my Kindle from the table I had placed it on the night before when I was reading it. You must understand - I had taken that Kindle apart and there was no receipt. As I picked it up from the table, my eyes were instantly drawn downward, to where the receipt was laying in plain sight on the floor. I know it hadn’t been there the night before. I really have no idea where it had been or where it came from. I don’t much care. But I smiled, enjoying God’s huge surprise for me.

Does Jesus care? Yes, dear ones, he does. Whether it is in the midst of deep grief or in the “minutia” – He cares. I wrote last time that Jesus gives God a face – and that face is often streaked with tears.” (Quote taken from Philip Yancy’s book “Grace Notes.”) Today I am here to also assure you that God’s face is sometimes creased with laugh lines – and his eyes are full of a twinkling joy, as he gives good gifts to his children.

Enjoy God’s good gifts today and thanks for listening. Caro