It's the little things...

Just thought I'd share today about one of the ways that I know that God loves me. Sometimes it's just too easy to make my relationship with God about rules and regulations and the proper ways of doing things. It's too easy to make my relationship with God about going through the motions of daily obedience and cultivating the appropriate thoughts and feelings. I can know that He is God, and I should adore Him for who He is without feeling much like I know Him well, or that He is all that interested in knowing me well. I can think that He has given His Son for me, and that is more than enough, and I shouldn't expect any more personal affirmations of His love for me than that. Sometimes the Lord's love doesn't feel like the personal love I expect from my friends and family, and so I stop expecting it. And then He swoops in and surprises me and reminds me that He is personally interested in me. Me! And it's great, and I wonder why I ever doubted. This past Sunday, I got a reminder message from God that He does know my needs and cares for them, even as small as they must seem to Him. David, Seth, and I were in line at the grocery store, doing the weekly shopping. The lines were amazingly long, and they were just crawling. Thankfully, David and I decided that we wouldn't get impatient, and we used the time waiting to talk. Behind us in line were a woman about my age and a little girl, about 4 years old. I noticed that they were dressed up, but around here, you don't assume that means they went to church. Not many people go to church around here compared to most places I've lived, so that would be kind of a radical assumption. Anyway, for some reason, I overheard her telling her daughter that they'd forgotten the milk, so I offered to pull her cart up behind us and let them go and get it. That then led to a conversation in which I learned that, in fact, they had gone to church that morning. Her daughter started out by telling me all about her Sunday School class and her Beginner Bible. I learned that this lady lives about 5 minutes from us, is a sincere Christian, and surprise!, just happens to lead the new mother's class at Community Bible Study in Alexandria. She invited me to the group and encouraged me that everyone brings their little babies and has a great time studying the Word together. She also told me about the local MOPS program. By the time we were done talking, I knew that God had had that line crawl like molasses for a reason. He cares enough about me and my slight apprehension about being lonely in Arlington as a new mom to stick me in line right in front of the new mom's leader for a great interdenominational Bible study that I'd considered joining before! What are the odds?!! 1 in 10,000? There have been so many little things lately that God has used to show his gentle and personal care for me, but I've been so busy and distracted that I haven't taken the time to notice like I should. This time I couldn't ignore his kind reminder that He loves to provide for the small details in taking care of this sparrow of His. I'm thankful that He isn't always subtle. What about you? Are you noticing the little ways that He makes your day a little easier? Do you notice the nursing pillow that drops into your lap two days before you desperately need it even though you didn't know you did? Are you aware of the people that He provides to open your door when you're struggling with your stroller? His small kindnesses are so sweet, and we shouldn't forget them because they don't seem as great as His big ones, like salvation. It is the little things that He gives that help me remember that He is MY Father, not just the Father of all who trust in Him. I am thankful for a personal God, and I am thankful for His intimate care for me.