God Pulled the Corner of the Curtain Back Just a Bit for Me to See

This post is not about me. Oh, sure, I’m in the story, but please know that what I really saw was God pulling the corner of the curtain back just enough for me to see a bit of Him.

A month ago, the little girls and I rummaged through their dressers and closets. It was clean out day for them. I do not like the job.  Checking sizes, trying on clothes, determining what fits, what doesn’t and what is out of season.

Seems like there was a lot this year.  With the baby (AKA little sister) growing (and having things passed down from 2 sisters), the bushel basket over-flowed.

I put the items in my laundry room, vowing to bring them to a local thrift store ASAP.

For weeks, I climbed around the unneeded clothes.  They fell out of the basket. I would put them back in. I even washed a couple of things that seemed to dirty as they sat there.

“Ugh! I have got to get these out of here,” I murmured to myself time and time again.

But I never got around to it.

Here’s the cool part.

Out of the blue, I received an e-mail from a friend.  A family had fallen on hard times, and was in need of little girl clothes in the sizes of – yes, you guessed it – the sizes that were overflowing in my laundry room.

Yes! I had clothes … I had lots of clothes.

Like I said, this story is not about me. I didn’t do anything (other than procrastinate, which is not admirable at all). God did everything.  He knew their need. He knew what I had, and He had a plan.

What makes this story so special to me is that lately, I’ve been feeling discouraged.  I hate the feeling.  Like a thick ooze of slime it weighs heavy on my shoulders. I can not wipe it off, rinse it off or pick it off. It just settles and it sticks.

It says to me, “Is God really out there? Is He really watching out for me, aware of my every need?”

But this Christmas, God gave me a gift – a reminder of His tender, hand-crafted care.

The trick for me now is to accept His gift of truth, that His provision for me, although different, is non-the-less faithful. 

That’s what I’m working on this week, remembering the truths.

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (NLT Deuteronomy 31:8)