How often do you lose your cell phone in the house? Every time I misplace mine, I think of you, single mother. At least I have a husband under the roof who can call my phone so I can find it. But all you can do is run to a neighbor for help.
But I have a problem. Not only do I misplace my cell phone in the house, but I’ve been known to leave it places when I’m out. I recall the time when I left it in the dressing room at Dillard’s, and the next customer held on to it for days before returning it. Or one day at a stop sign, I got out of the car to take off my coat. I dropped my phone without realizing it and drove off. And then there’s the time on the airplane when I accidentally put my phone in the purse of the lady sitting next to me. UGH! And just last week, it happened again. I left my phone at Walmart! But this time, it was a blessing in disguise.
As I went back into the store to find it, I thought, Pam, how in the world are you going to find your phone? I had only walked up and down every aisle shopping for this and that. Then I prayed, “Lord, you KNOW where that cell phone is. You are El Roi, the God who sees. Guide my steps to that phone.” I must have been in the store thirty minutes searching to no avail when I said one last time, “God, bring that phone to me if I don’t see it. Guide my steps to exactly where I need to be.”
I walked out of the store toward my car, but for some reason I turned around and headed to the service desk. As I was about to ask the attendant about my phone, a man walked up behind me, reached around my side and said to the clerk, “Here, I just found this phone.” You guessed it. It was MINE!!! Are you serious? The timing was impeccable. In a split second I would have missed it. Yes! I seized my phone with gratitude and PRAISED GOD all the way back to my car.
Here’s the lesson I learned in that little escapade. Pray with your eyes on God and not the difficulty. When we yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit within us and ask for wisdom, he guides our steps. He wants to thrill us, to show off his powers, and to increase our desire to know him more intimately. I couldn’t help but giggle all day as I thought of my phone dilemma from God’s perspective. Just like we love to thrill our children and give them little surprises along the way, so does he. God is such a gentleman. He always comes to my rescue.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
—Psalm 32:8
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About Pam Kanaly
Aloha! I’m Pam Kanaly, President and co-founder of Arise Ministries. But actually, I think Arise found me wanting to bless single moms years ago. Ministry was never on my mind as a kid. All I wanted to be was a hula dancer. So Mother enrolled me in the tiny tots’ class. Guess God knew I’d have two grandbabies born in Hawaii. I love the great outdoors. You might even find me spending time with my husband grizzly bear watching or camping. In fact, it was on a turkey hunt that God gave me the name Arise Ministries in 2002. I suppose it’s a good thing that I majored in Grammar in college since I love to write words of encouragement to single moms.