My favourite toy as a child was a small and dirty teddy bear. This bear was originally blue but over time had lost all its fur as my fingers rubbed at it seeking comfort. It also had no nose or mouth after I chewed them off as a teething baby. These imperfections made me love this bear even more but were not appreciated by my mother who couldn’t understand my need to take a dirty old bear with me everywhere. It was so special to me that if I didn’t have my bear, I couldn’t sleep at night. I was not happy unless I had the comfort of this bear with me at all times.
I can remember vividly a time as a young child when I lost this special bear. I had frantically searched all over the house, in every little nook and cranny like the woman in the Bible with her lost coin, but it was nowhere to be found. Tears streamed down my face as I told my mother about my loss. Seeing how heartbroken I was, she suggested that we have a prayer to ask for God’s help in finding my lost bear. We knelt beside her bed and we began to pray—“Dear Jesus, Danelle has lost her special bear. Could you please help us find . . .” At that exact moment, my wandering hands touched something very familiar under the bed—”MUM! MY BEAR! I’VE FOUND IT UNDER THE BED!” Just like that, in the middle of the prayer asking for God’s help, I had found my bear right underneath where I was kneeling to pray.
This memory has stuck with me through life. It was a moment where God showed me how much He cared for even the smallest details of my life, even something as insignificant as a lost teddy bear.
The Bible has many examples of God caring for these small details. When Cain was upset about Abel’s offering being better than his own, God noticed his facial expression change (Genesis 4:6). When Elijah needed food, God sent ravens to deliver meals twice a day (1 Kings 17:6). He numbers the very hairs on our heads (Luke 12:7), collects each of our tears (Psalm 56:8) and “delights in every detail of our lives” (Psalm 37:23). He even notices every single sparrow (something which had very little value in Israelite culture) and cares for us infinitely more (Matthew 10:29-31). Time and time again, God has cared for the small details in our lives, but do we give Him the opportunity to show us personally that He cares about every little thing?
It can be easy to fall into thinking that God is SO BIG with so much going on, that He couldn’t possibly notice the little things in each of our lives. Whilst it’s true that He is almighty and all powerful, He also knows it all and cares for it all. Our God is in charge of the heavens and earth but also cared about a small girl who lost her teddy bear.
My challenge to you is this: consciously look for God caring for the details in your life, and don’t hold back in asking Him to help you with the specifics. Next time you go to the shops and it’s looking busy, ask Him to give you a car park. When you’re travelling home from work and are feeling extra tired, ask Him for an easy drive. If your child loses their favourite toy, kneel with them and teach them to pray for the small things. You never know what impact this may have on their faith journey, or even your own.
I’d love to hear about a time in your life where God has shown you that he cares about the details. Visit facebook.com/adventistrecord and drop a comment on the article post or email editor@record.net.au.
