God Pays Attention to the Details

January 10, 2012

Happpppppy New Year!!! I know I am late, but I pray your new year has started off right. Mine sure did. I spent a week vacation in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to see one of my dear friends. I went to visit her and I had the best time ever. Thank you Detania and Michael Payne(that's her husband) for being so hospitable.

Before I went to the Dairy State, I had really been stressed out. There was so much going on and I definitely needed a break from the pressures of all that I was going through. I journaled a prayer the first night I got there:
"Lord for this trip, I pray I can really have a good time. I pray I can do some things that will make it memorable. Some good, positive things..."
It was one of those moments where no one knew what I said or thought, but God alone. I know it may seem silly to some to ask God for something as shallow as a good time, but you have to know me to know that I can be wound pretty tight sometimes. I like to enjoy myself, but I have always had a hard time having "too much" fun. I also have had a hard time in my life letting go and not stressing about the smallest, most insignificant details and cares of this world. In essence, my prayer was necessary since I can be a bit of a stick in the mud from time to time.

Anyway, as I was reading my journal when the trip was almost over, I realized that God had answered that very specific detail of my prayer. It came to me that every detail is important to the Lover of my Soul. I honestly think that is one of those intimate traits that make God who He is. He is the most considerate Lover I have ever had. In fact, He's really the only Lover I have ever needed and craved on a regular basis. As I think about other times God took the time to impress His love on me with the details I see Him in an even more brilliant Light. For instance in 2010, when I was once first unemployed He laid it on a lady's heart (who I didn't really know) to recharge my Starbucks gift card. I still remember thinking how God was just so sweet for blessing me the way He does. I remember being moved to tears about His passionate affection towards me.

I say all this to say, when I read the Word, I see that God feels this way about all of creation. In Matthew 10, Jesus is giving the disciples what I call a "peep talk". He is encouraging them not to be afraid of the things that they may & will encounter along their journey of preaching the Gospel. Specifically, He tells them, "And fear not them who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: rather fear Him who is able to destroy body and soul in hell." He goes on the talk about the sparrows and ends with one of my favorite verses number 30, "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered." I am about to shout right now!!! God knows the number of hairs on my head and He knows how many there are on your head too. He knows what we need. He knows what is most important for us. He knows what we are going through. Be assured that, He is not so far removed that He isn't paying attention. Indeed He is. That is why I love Him.

He is a God of details. He knows what He is doing and what He wants my life to be. He takes out the time to make sure every small element is covered. He even shows me (us) on a daily basis that His love is personal. So personal that I needed to write about it. :-) This is my praise to Him. Thank You for the romance that is our love affair, Lord. Thank You for never forgetting any important benchmarks in my life. Thank You for always considering me in your decisions. Thank You for always being the kind of God I can fall in love with on a regular basis. You are amazing. I love You, Jesus!

Min. Erica Standley
XOXO

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