I'm OK with You Thinking I Am Nuts...This is Too Wonderful Not to Share

Nine years ago our old pastor's Wife, Julia Pickerill, taught at the Breathe Festival. During her teaching she talked about how our generation has become a generation where we are constantly seeking the grandiose experiences with God. However, for her, the most spiritual experiences she has had in her lifetime had often been the most simple expressions of love from others.
This teaching has always stuck with me because I love to see God in the small things. It helps me to appreciate that even in this fallen world He still cares for me and my family, and He absolutely hears our prayers. I wanted to share this story of how God worked in the life of my little guy, Zachary. He heard Zachary's prayers and showed Zachary that He heard him, cares for him, and listens to the cries of His children.

(I realize that there may be readers that think I am totally nuts after this post. Or others that say, "Are you kidding? That wasn't God, that was coincidence." If I chose to see things that way then I would miss out on a lot of amazing things that God does around me...I don't want to miss out on how the God of the universe cares for me in such a way that he would bless us in ways only we care about.)

For those of you that have young children you are aware, maybe even painfully aware, that when they have a stuffed animal they are attached to, it is not merely a stuffed animal, but a very real member of the family. We have just recently discovered how Zachary viewed his favorite stuffed animal, Panda.
Mark and I knew he loved this stuffed animal. My mom had gotten it for him for Christmas. He had to sleep with it every night and he carried it with him all over the house, in the car, etc. Well we took Panda to Disney World with us and lost him on the way home. Ugh. He spent nights and naptimes sobbing because he missed him. I mean, sobbing so loudly that he woke his baby brother in the room next door. There was the temptation to tell him to just get over it, but we couldn't. It wasn't his fault he was lost, it was ours...and now my child was devastated every day and every night because his best friend, Panda, wasn't with him.
So my mom and I did what any rational adults would do. My mom went out in search of panda. She bought a replacement, but it wasn't the right one, and Zachary knew it right away. "Now I can sleep with this panda and Panda when we find him." Our hearts sank again. So then we spent the night scouring the internet for a replacement. We discovered that my mom had gotten a panda that was made exclusively for one store, and it was their holiday stuffed animal, and there were no more left...anywhere. Fortunately, we found one. ONE. There was only one of these new pandas on ebay and so my mom graciously, regardless of price, bought Zachary a new Panda.
We waited and waited for it to arrive. While waiting Zachary continued to cry about missing Panda.
Well, yesterday I told him that he was not to cry during quiet time. And then I told him that when I get sad and cry I pray because it makes me feel better. He said, "I prayed last night." You did? "Yeah. I prayed that panda would come home tomorrow." I told him I loved him, gave him a kiss, and then went downstairs. Not 5minutes later my mom showed up at the door with Panda in tow.
She took Panda upstairs to Zachary and he was just silent. He hugged Panda and Nanna so tightly, and then started to cry. As he told me later, "I was just so happy."
I love that God heard Zachary's cries. I love that He knows how much Zachary loves his Panda and how he sees Panda as a legitimate member of our family. I love that when Zachary was specific about asking for Panda to come home the next day...he did.

I realize tht people will say this is just a coincidence, but I won't see it that way. After all that we have been through in this lifetime I don't believe there is such a thing as "over spiritualization." God moves in mighty ways, and in the most simple ways. I am just thankful to be a part of God's work this side of heaven.



Now on a lighter note...are we overdoing it if we install a pet microchip in Panda's ear so we never lose him again?

The Grateful,
Joyful and Tired Mom