I'm not really sure exactly how to start this post so I will just give it a go... My mentor Krystal Helbig has always taught me to see Jesus working in both the small and large things in life. She would encourage me so much when she would pray for small things and then get to see Jesus working as He answered her. I was always in awe of her relationship with the Lord because Jesus just seemed so near. James 4 reminds us that "we do not have because we do not ask." Krystal was living proof of the opposite. She saw (and continues to see) Jesus work because she asked to see Him work in her everyday life.
I am reading through Jeremiah and was encouraged this morning with Jeremiah 32 and it reminded me of an event recently where I was so encouraged to see Jesus working in our lives in a very small way but a way that made me feel that He is so close and involved in our daily life. In Jeremiah 32, the Lord used a house deed to encourage Jeremiah that He was working in Jeremiah's life. For me the other day, God used a Minion.
We live about 1/2 a mile away from the mall and thus we often walk to the mall to just get fresh air and let the kids play there. We were getting Zoee's ears pierced the other day and while in the store, Asher noticed a little Minion figurine that he wanted to buy. Asher asked Sonny if we could buy it for Asher and he could use his own money to pay us back once we got home (it was $5). Sonny said that was fine and bought it for him. Well, this day was really cold and we were all bundled up for our walk home. We made one more stop at another store before walking home. When we neared the corner to our home, Asher said, "I can't find my Minion. I think I lost it." My heart sank a little for him. To spend $5 and lose it on the trip home... bummer! I know how much Asher values saving his money and how he tries to spend it wisely so this just made me sad for him. We looked through his jacket and scarf and didn't find the Minion. Right when we got home, something inside me said- "This is a great opportunity to teach your children about prayer and about My character." I barely said two words to Sonny... I just said "I'm going for a small run outside. I'll be right back." I changed into warm running clothes and set out. I ran as fast as I could (while looking as intently as I could), praying that the Lord would let me find the TINY Minion so I could teach Asher about our sweet King Jesus. I literally prayed something so similar to Jeremiah 32:17
"Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You!"
I went back to the last store and asked (yes, I actually asked the workers if they'd seen a small Minion!!) and they hadn't. I started back home. I remember praying one last time, "Jesus, you don't have to do this for me. I love you. I know it's so small but You created the heavens and the earth and you know where this little Minion is. Please let me use this to teach Asher about You." I'm not kidding you - right when I finished praying, I see this little yellow thing in the middle of the road where we crossed over from the mall to our section of the neighborhood. There was the little Minion. I couldn't run home fast enough. I was smiling from ear to ear. I raced through the door and saw a sad little Asher. He had still paid his Daddy for the lost Minion. I came in and with joy shared, "Jesus found your Minion!!"
I told Asher that Jesus is near to us and wants us to communicate often with Him. While He can (and will) often say no, there are times where He will say "yes" to us and show us how near He is to us. He loves His children and wants to be close to them. Prayer is one of the main ways that we are near to King Jesus- who created the heavens and the earth! The kids were so excited to see that Jesus had answered this prayer and I think they were really in awe of how the Lord had helped me find such a small toy amidst a vast area of places where the Minion could have been.
***Please, please don't get me wrong and think that Jesus will always "find" your lost toys! My main point here is that Jesus is concerned about the "mundane" AS WELL as the "massive." We can come to Him with both and it's so encouraging to see Him work in our lives.
This story continued to encourage me for days. How great is it that our King wants to be so near to us. He hears both the small and the great requests and wants to speak to us. Let us come to Him often and I really think we will be encouraged to see the ways that He works. Oh how I love you Jesus!!
