I live in Arizona. And as most people know, Arizona is hot in the summer months. I mean scorching hot. If you come to visit in the summer be prepared to drive through a ghost town because no one is out walking around enjoying the weather unless they absolutely have to. Most sane people are planted in front of their air conditioners with very little to wear while drinking copious amounts of iced tea. There are three basics to remember…always wear sunblock, drink tons of ice water, and never leave home without a pair of shoes on your feet. Seriously, it’s THAT hot.
Several years ago I was faced with the loss of the third basic. My flip-flop broke.
Not the most earth-shattering news but trust me, it is huge news when it breaks while I’m walking…in Arizona…in the summer heat. I was at the mailbox, and luckily my car was just a few steps away, so I did what any self-respecting adult would do…I used my big toe to grip the edge of the flip-flop and by sliding it forward I managed to get to the car. But then, once in the car, I faced a dilemma.
How was I going to get to my apartment with only one shoe?
You are probably laughing right about now. Go ahead, laugh it up, I sure did. But I’m telling you, the thought of walking barefoot on scorching hot pavement is not as enticing as it sounds. Especially when you consider the fact that my parking spot was two buildings away from my apartment, which was up three flights of concrete stairs, another lovely heat-holding source of pain.
So, I’m sitting in the car, trying to figure out what to do, and I muttered a half-hearted prayer, “Oh Lord, what am I going to do now?”
I could try hopping, but I seriously doubted I would have the stamina needed to do so in a flip-flop for such a distance. And what if the other one broke? Or, I could chuck it all and run barefoot, but did I mention the sidewalk was burn inducing hot? And in the middle of my thinking, I happened to glance down.
There was something peculiar in the little tray between the seats. A rubber band. I have no idea why it was there, or even how it got there, as I do not use rubber bands for anything, not even my hair (regular rubber bands hurt when being pulled out, and as I’ve already established, I’m a wimp when it comes to pain). If we come across a rubber band it goes straight into the trash, or maybe into a little box in my kitchen, but never the tray in between my car seats.
Let me tell you, I almost did a worship jig sitting in my car in the parking lot! After securing my broken flip-flop with the miracle rubber band, I hopped out of the car and walked to my apartment thanking God the entire time.
The Bible says in Philippians 4:19…“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
So what does a rubber band and flip-flops have to do with God’s provision?
Everything. You see, God provides. It’s as simple as that. While a rubber band may not seem like a big deal, it was a big deal to me. God saw the need of my heart at that moment and provided what I required. He knew in advance that my flip-flop would break and orchestrated the circumstances that brought me my miracle rubber band!
Here’s the best part. If God saw my need for something so small, then how can I not trust Him with the big stuff?? I love His little provisions because they help me to trust Him when facing another rent payment without enough money, or transportation when my car breaks down, or comfort when I’m facing the loss of a loved one.
I don’t sweat the big stuff because God’s got it all covered, no matter how big or how small.
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