Delight in the Details

I have a friend who's dealing with some big stuff...the kind where healing has been a long time in coming and a sometimes painful process. She recently went out on a date with her husband wherein they'd gone to a restaurant, to a coffee shop and for a walk. When she got home she discovered that one of her earrings was missing--a special one given to her by her husband for their 25th anniversary. You can imagine her feelings--sometimes things have a way of feeling like the "last straw". The next day her husband went back to the city and retraced their steps...no earring at the restaurant or coffee shop. Would you believe it that he found it in a gutter between the two places?

This story reminds me of one of my favorite verses:

"The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never fall,
for the Lord holds them by the hand."
(Psalm 37:23-24)

Life is full of big challenges. Sometimes they're the result of our own choices, sometimes the choices of others, and sometimes for no reason that we can understand. We'd love to be zapped out, rescued, "Beam me up, Scotty!", anything! We just want the pain to end. It's pretty normal to wonder at these times, "If God really cares..."

The glorious hope of the Gospel is that He does care. He invades our pain with kindness. While we wait for the answer to the Big Questions, He whispers of His love and delight in the small details of our lives. Rather than abandoning us to the consequences of sin, He sets us free, brings redemption, and heals our broken hearts.

His delight in the small details boosts my faith, renews my hope and helps me hold on. May you be blessed today by recognizing His love in the details of your life. May you be blessed with a desire to seek the face in the Father in the midst of the struggle. May He give you eyes to see His goodness. As you dwell on His loving kindness, may your heart be infused with courage to hang on.

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
His mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, "The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!"
The Lord is good to those who depend on him,
to those who search for him.
So it is good to wait quietly
for salvation from the Lord.
Lamentations3:22-26