Our family has a Memorial Box which holds special trinkets. Each of these trinkets represent a story from our lives that resonate something God has done for us. Some represent a story of His healing in our lives, others His provision in our lives, still others His protection in our lives, even a few represent His rescue in our lives……but, no matter what, all represent His ever-present faithfulness.
Some of our stories are long and involved. Others are short and sweet. Today’s story is a short one. It is a recent testimony to His active involvement in our lives.
People have told me that they don’t think they would have anything to put in their own Memorial Box if they had one because our stories seem so miraculous. I have assured them that God is always at work in all of our lives and so there is no doubt He has done things – they just either can’t remember them or don’t realize it’s Him.
Today’s story just happened the other day.
After moving, we could not find the box with the pots and pans. It actually seemed ridiculous. I mean, come on, pots and pans are hardly something that would get tucked in a box and never found again!
They are heavy.
They are big.
Yet they were no where.
We searched and searched and searched some more. All of us searched. We prayed, “Lord help us find the box of pots and pans!”
Days passed.
I know it sounds silly, but I was growing a bit concerned. Pots and pans are not cheap to replace. And I have several cast iron skillets which are my favorite to cook with – I would think they would be hard to replace!
To top it off – we have lost different things in other moves. Once, Dw’s guitar disappeared years ago, never to be seen again {and that’s not exactly something that could accidentally be thrown away.}
But we kept praying, “Lord help us find that box of pots and pans!”
Then the other day I stopped dead in my tracks. I said, “Wait! I keep asking you to help us find the pots and pans. I am changing my prayer to this: ‘Lord, please tell me exactly where the box of pots and pans are.'”
And the instant I changed my prayer to “tell me where it is…” I heard His soft whisper…”Check the back of the little black car.”
I went to Dw and said, “Send someone to the back end of the black car, the Lord just told me that’s where the box of pots and pans are.”
Not even two minutes later, Graham came in carrying the great big, heavy box of pots and pans. I started to laugh. Seriously! We had not remembered putting anything in the back of the little car, nor had we even thought to look there.
I learned a very important lesson that day. He had been waiting all along for me just to stop, ask and then to listen. When I asked the right question and stopped to listen He had answered immediately.
No doubt, there have been a zillion times where He has shown me where things are without asking, but I am continuing to learn to be very specific when I pray.
I have a tiny cast iron pot which when I find it in the boxes {haha} we will put in our Memorial Box to remind us of this story. {Actually I think I will ask Him now to show me exactly where the little cast iron pot is now.}
Awesome… this reminds me of your other post about praying the right kind of prayer that He will answer… (somewhere along the lines)… it makes me think this picture in my mind, about having different keys and trying to use them one by one in a locked door keyhole… many of the keys don't work and the door doesn't open (no answer).. until you find the right key (the right question to ask) and the door opens! smile
I guess does that mean I have to keep asking Him many sort of questions and hope one of them is the correct question to ask? What if His answer was already given in the first place, and that is "wait" but He didn't say "wait"… just silence, and I mistook that as a wrong question to ask and keep asking? 🙂
I really want to hear Him speak more! 🙂 I love, love, love His sweet counsel!
He is beautiful, He is altogether lovely.
Great story! I have grown in my prayer life so much because of you and the example that you show us thru APCS. Thanks for sharing with us so openly. I love you & miss you & I really appreciate you as my sister in the Lord!
Your posts are always such an awesome reminder to me of just how much God loves us- enough to show us where pots and pans are even! I love how you asked specifically for Jesus to show you where to look instead of how we usually pray- please help me find. Asking Him to help me be more specific about my prayers especially how to pray specifically for my boys who are not following Him right now.
bee blessed
mary
This post is very encouraging for me because our new dog ran away on the 4th of July. We are so so sad and believe me, we are praying continually. But I haven't asked specifically where he is. I am sort of afraid to hope, though. Oh, me of little faith. Anyway, thanks for the post. I am so glad you found your favorite pots and pans!
ps. I finally got my own google account so I don't have to steal my son's. 🙂
Update: So I went to bed last night after reading this and prayed. I was a little sad that I didn't get an immediate answer. This morning at 6:15, the baby woke up. This is unusual, a couple hours early for her. So I was feeding her and our dog walks into our room!!!!! We have a doggie door in the back but both gates are closed. He is limping a little and really skinny (he was already really skinny because we just got him from the pound June 7, but he had been gaining but now he is skinnier than before.) Praise the Lord!!! Thank you Jesus!
How so beautiful, praise the Lord!!!! instead of answering you immediately when you prayed, I think the Holy Spirit put it into your dog's mind to return home and even inspired him with directions if he was lost! How I love dogs, and how I love the Lord even more! 😀
Hey, Linny, no link up? I had the same thing happen with a misplaced bill…..praying and looking and searching and then praying, tell us where it is and knowing immediately where it was…going over, opening a drawer and looking under a pile of old check stubs and there it was! Love how God is in the details of our lives…..We use cast iron skillets too!!!!!
Wow that's amazing, Renee! Awesome! 🙂
I love this story! Your Memorial Box Mondays are some of my favorites.
I love this post because I've had the exact same experience. Looking for some important papers that I needed the NEXT DAY, searching and searching through file cabinets, desk drawers. Finally asking God to please just tell me where they are! "The glove box in your van". Sure enough….thank you Father.
It's amazing, He does speak! 🙂 🙂 I shouldn't say "amazing" but… I love it when He does! 🙂
Always thankful to read your good stories of God's care. Thank you for sharing! We are in the midst of another little crises here at the sleepyknitter home, waiting to hear from God regarding our next steps toward employment so that we can provide for our little treasures. He has been so very good to us in our previous employment — it was just exactly what our little family needed for the children's special needs and so forth. I pray that He will provide us with answers today that are as sure as the location of your pots and pans. 🙂
Along those lines, every morning after breakfast, I was experiencing 'trotitis' all of a sudden. I concluded (with the heaviest of hearts) that I could no longer tolerate coffee. OH NO!!!Or maybe it had something to do with my fibromyalgia. Anyhoo, I asked God to reveal the problem to me, and in the middle of the night, He said,"You bought Sugar Twin instead of Splenda" Only God!!! First thing, I went to the cupboard, and of course, He was right. Amazing that He cares about such things. I guess it all serves me right for trying to get skinny. Happy cookin' Linny! Finally figured out how to post.DAH! (Feona's mom)
test, Lisa
Hi Kim 😀