The other night we were preparing to turn onto the highway and I had an overwhelming sense that we should not. In a quick second I prayed, “Lord, please do not let us get stuck in a traffic jam.” We were headed somewhere important. Somewhere we needed to be on time.
Not two seconds later, right before the light turned green, the person next to me said, “Don’t get on the highway!” She had been looking at her Facebook and saw people posting about the current back-up.
We were able to get out of the turn lane and take another route to our destination. I can’t say what being a few hours late might have done to the plans that evening.
What I can say is that fifteen years ago I might have considered it sheer luck that she happened to look at her phone just then. I can tell you with certainty I wouldn’t have thought to seek God’s help in my traffic affairs.
But today it was such a good reminder that God is in the details. I’m sure you’ve heard the BIGGER stories—the ones that rock your world when you think What could have been? For example, I remember that my sister was originally scheduled to fly out for her overseas trip in middle school on the TWA Flight 800 that ultimately crashed and killed all on board. At some point the plans got switched and they were forced to fly out of a different airport. Some might call that coincidence. I call it the grace of God.
Undoubtedly that rocked our world at the time. Brought our lives to a pause and made us think, Thank God she wasn’t on that plane! But when the consequences aren’t life and death, we sometimes forget to thank God. Or even to notice Him.
Most importantly, what the other night reminded me of is that God wants the details of our lives. He wants me to be praying continuously and in all circumstances, even the small, minute ones (1 Thess. 5:16-18).
Today I have been tired, and when I’m tired, I can easily have a short fuse. While I’ve worked (and more importantly, prayed) hard to improve on this in my life, it is still an easy trap for me to fall into. Today I’ve gotten angry and yelled at my children in a way that doesn’t honor the Lord. I’ve thrown my hands up, snapped at them and done plenty of other childish things (no mom of the year award around here!). I’ve had to seek forgiveness from two five year olds and a three year old for acting in a way that doesn’t glorify Him. God is in the details today, too.
He wants my details.
Even the operating-on-not-a-lot-of-sleep details.
He knows who we are behind the scenes, inside our own heads, in the confines of our homes. And He wants us there too. So instead of praying for a traffic jam, tonight I pray for patience and to be slow to anger. I pray for the details of my heart and that He might use the details of the day to make me more like Him.
So I ask you, dear reader, what details can you trust to God today?
Let Him in.