Just a couple weeks ago my family and I had a nice vacation in Pennsylvania. One particular day I took the family on a tour of the Hershey chocolate factory. When we got back I decided to go out fly-fishing on a nearby stream, and since I don't really know what I am doing I didn't catch a single fish. I finally went back to our cabin for a dinner that once again would not contain any fish. As we were eating dinner my hands brushed the side of my pants and I had a sinking feeling. My knife was gone.
This may not seem like a big deal to you, but it was a huge deal to me. Not only was this knife given to me by my dad nearly twenty years ago, but it has been discontinued and they are very rare to find. This knife has become a part of me. I am sure you can imagine just how many boxes and cable ties this knife has cut through over its years of loyal service.
I retraced my steps near the river. I searched the car and house. I even called Hershey and they assured me that they would look for it. A few days later Hershey did call me back only to tell me that they were not able to find my knife. My heart sunk.
On the last day of our vacation I searched the house and car again as we packed everything up. I had this horrible feeling that if I did not find the knife now, I never would. As we were pulling out of the driveway I decided to take one last drive by the river that had soundly beaten my fly-fishing abilities. I began searching through some tall grass that I had walked through several days before, when the thought struck me that it was nearly impossible for me to find this knife if it was lost here.
As I looked around and let the hopelessness of the situation set it I was struck with an idea. I knew that God was totally in control of the situation. I realized that God knew in advance where my eyes would look and that it was a small matter for him to make my eyes intersect with where my knife was. I prayed and told God that I was content with finding it or not finding it. With that I walked back to the car.
As I was walking back to the car I was looking at the river bank and a sparkle caught my eye. I looked closer and sure enough, it was my knife! It was a little rusty and beat up, but I found it! I was rejoicing and I felt like I could really relate with the parable about the lost coin in the New Testament.
As I drove home I was pondering the things in my life that I get worried about sometimes. Things that I feel have gotten out of control. And I realized that if God was in control of my losing and then finding my silly little knife, then He must really care immensely about the other details of my life as well. When I stopped worrying about my knife and just prayed about it, He worked it all out.
I am sure that you have had moments when everything seems like it is falling apart. Sound problems you just can't put your finger on; videos not rendering out properly; intelligent lighting that seems to get a mind of its own. Even in these times God is in control and He cares. Sometimes He is may just be waiting for us to stop worrying about it all and just give it to Him in prayer.
[Philippians 4:6-7] Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
