An Arrowhead, A Guitar Pick, And A Fish

“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:27

It was during a camping trip years ago. I had walked so many trails and looked hard everywhere for an arrowhead. Back then I collected the artifacts as I had a fascination with all things Native American. I was exhausted from hunting for arrowheads as I knelt down to unzip and climb into my tent. As my knee hit the hard dirt something turned up beneath it. Picking the object up I discovered it was an arrowhead. I laughed at God’s sense of humor and my hard work looking for an arrowhead when one lay at the door to my tent all along. 

I was looking forward to my trip to the music store. I wanted to get a guitar pick. Arriving at the store I was frustrated to discover it was closed. However, so that the trip was not a complete waste of time, I decided to stop to get gas on the way home. I pulled up to the pump and was about to put gas into the car as I looked down and was shocked to see a guitar pick lying beside the gas pump. It took a minute to register the fact as I could not imagine why anyone would leave a guitar pick at a gas pump. I smiled as I reached down and thought about our Heavenly Father’s kindness and thoughtfulness of making sure I got a guitar pick even though the music store was closed.

My fishing trip was becoming a slog. What began with hope, joy, and optimism became an exercise in frustration as I could not catch a fish, or even get a bite from one. I was at my second fishing hole and had nearly walked around the entire pond with no success. I tried live bait, and all the lures I thought would work. I had slowed my retrieve, sped it up, and my joy had quickly faded for the fishing trip as I had no success. I started to cast out my line when I realized too late that the line was partially twisted around the end of my fishing pole. Instead of a smooth cast out toward the middle of the pond my lure plopped just a few feet off of the bank. I unwound my line from my pole tip and then lifted the rod only to discover a bass at the end of my line. I laughed out loud at the ludicrous situation and God’s funny sense of humor.

Thinking over these three events it is hard to discover whether God orchestrates such things to show us His sense of humor, or to humble us and our well made plans, or to simply to show His kindness. Perhaps it is all three. At times we must laugh with God when our plans fall apart, and in doing so find a bit of humility. It is also good to see God’s kindness involved in the minutia of our lives. Especially as we hold to Him during the challenging times of our lives when we need steadfast faith in Him.

God is at work in our lives in small and large ways. I wonder how much we miss regarding God’s kindness and intervention by marking such events up to circumstance? 

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us not to overlook the many ways you are involved in our lives. And help us to understand that though our plans may not always work out as we hope, You are there watching over us and helping us. Thank You for showing Your kindness in large and small ways. Amen.