In tiny ways

by Emily Belle Freeman

Every once in a while God reminds us of how He is in the details.

In tiny ways.

Which makes me realize that if He knows about the tiny details, then He is certainly aware of the big details.

And when the tiny answers come, they give me faith to wait on the Lord for the big ones.

Last week I am standing at the mirror in the dressing room of a huge event that I am about to be speaking at.

For the hundredth time I retie the black satin bow around my waist. It won't stay tied right, no matter how many times I pull the one bunny ear through the other, and measure both sides, and check the length in the mirror.  For just one second it does, but as soon as I move it is all wrong again.

I've been in front of that mirror for way longer than I like to stand in front of mirrors.

And now, I am getting frustrated.

Just then, a dear friend walks in.  Gives a word of encouragement as she passes by.  Enters the second bathroom stall on the left, and shuts the door.

I untie the bow and start with the bunny ears again.

"You wouldn't happen to have a safety pin?"  I question my friend behind the closed door of the second stall on the left.

"Are you kidding?"  She says with a chuckle.  "Seriously?  Did you just ask me for a safety pin?"

She continues to laugh.  I am feeling awkward, because I wonder why she thinks it is so funny I asked her for a safety pin.

Then she says, "You aren't going to believe this, but there is a safety pin hanging on the handle of this door." Seriously?

For just a second I have to wonder who hooked a safety pin on the inside handle of the door on the second stall.

And then I have to wonder why, at just that moment, my dear friend walked into a dressing room with 8 empty stalls and chose the second stall on the left.

Just then.

Just when I needed a safety pin. For a silly black satin bow.

I'd been praying all day that I would be able to give the message those women had come to hear. It was a big prayer.

One that I hoped the Lord was listening to.  I felt the burden of that responsibility.  I couldn't do what needed to be done without an increase of His Spirit.

And so, when He answered my petition for a safety pin immediately, I knew that when I stood on the stage some four hours later I would have His help.

Because He was aware of the tiny details.

So He wouldn't let the big details go unanswered.