God Knew

Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you.

“The Vrbo owner sent me a message offering a discounted rate if I wanted to extend your stay until Saturday,” I said to Aaron as we chatted at the end of a long day, he on a work trip to San Diego and I holding down the fort in subzero Minnesota temps.

“I wonder why he’d send an out-of-the-blue offer?” I continued. “Too bad I’m not with you; we could make your work trip a fun trip!”

Our small talk soon drifted in a different direction, but after we hung up, my thoughts returned to the Vrbo offer as I washed up dinner dishes. Of all the times we’ve rented places for work or play, no one has ever offered to extend our stay. It was far enough out of our normal experience to snag my thoughts a couple of times as I moved through the evening’s chores.

It wasn’t until the next morning’s call with Aaron—when he told me that he was sick and unable to return home as planned—that I recognized God’s hand in the timing of that seemingly random Vrbo offer.

Work travel in various iterations has been part of our married life since the beginning, and we’ve adapted and flexed and found ways to make it work, but the years in which I lived with the quiet, additional fear of Aaron getting quarantined in a hotel far from home without someone to watch over him and without healthy food were a time of intense worry.

But God knew what was coming. And he provided a safe place, with a kitchen and enough groceries to see Aaron through, before we even knew he’d need it. We were able to navigate all of the other inconveniences and scrambled plans and frustrations with a grateful heart and the peace that comes from knowing God was with us in the midst of chaos.

While God doesn’t always smooth the path ahead of time in quite so obvious a manner, in retrospect, I’ve so often seen his handiwork in the hardest seasons.

Julie

Today’s Act of Gratitude

Can you think of a time God clearly provided for your needs in advance? Watch for his provision on the hard days, asking him to reveal himself to you.