I have a story to tell of the sweetest thing God did one recent very cold January day.
My son-in-law’s mother, Marie, came to visit my daughter and son-in-law for a long weekend. She arrived on Friday, and late that night it hit me that Marie’s birthday was only a few days away.
My friend Joyce and I were taking a day trip that next day to Lindsborg, a quaint little Swedish town not far away. As I got ready for bed that Friday night, I felt a strong urge and excitement about finding Marie a birthday gift in Lindsborg. I prayed as I went to bed, asking God to let me find just the right gift for Marie.
You see, Marie’s husband is fighting pancreatic cancer. The last six months have been brutal for Kent and Marie in all the ways you can imagine. I wanted this gift that God laid on my heart to be a special encouragement to Marie.
Joyce and I walked in shop after shop but there was nothing that jumped out at me as just the right gift for Marie. Finally, in a fair-trade shop, Joyce and I found a little table with baskets full of polished rocks shaped like hearts and painted various colors.
In one basket were stones that had a word on one side and then a little saying on the other side. I was drawn to them, but as I examined the selection I didn’t find anything that I felt was for Marie. I didn’t know what word would be for Marie, honestly, but I knew that none of those words were right.
Joyce said that maybe there were more rocks in the back of the store, and I said that I doubted it. I was ready to walk away but Joyce was already talking to the clerk at the counter, who said that she could etch any word onto one of the blank stones that were in another basket.
I was very surprised!
“So, what word would you want?” Joyce asked.
I hadn’t had time to even think about that when suddenly, in a flash, I knew.
“Courage,” I answered.
“And on the other side of the rock, Joshua 1:9,” I continued as I looked up the reference to be certain.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Oh, what a precious promise!
I walked out of the store with that little rock in a cute box with a pretty ribbon, praising God for how He put all this together.
But God wasn’t done yet.
In the next store, as we browsed the shelves, Joyce excitedly walked up to me.
“Patty, look at this!” she excitedly said.
She held out a beautiful journal. This is the cover.
What a tender touch from God!
I could hardly wait for the next day to come when I could give Marie these simple gifts and tell her the story of how God reached down to show me and Marie both that He cares about every little detail of our lives.
If God cares so much about a rock and a journal for Marie, I have every assurance that He cares about this path that Kent and Marie are walking.
He cares about THEM and He has a reason for the big things they’re facing.
And that little rock has shown over and over that we have a big God.
He Said What?! 