Friday, April 13, 2012

Cinderella ... and Mysterious Ways


The other day I lost my cell phone. I lose things easily--or at least it seems I misplace something every day ... but I've never lost my cell before. This was a "serious loss" in that I really had searched everywhere, and called my number without hearing it anywhere in the house. The complication was that the Gardener and I were traveling separately and needed to each have our phone. We are due to change/renew our contract and if I had to buy a new one I didn't want to have to make a quick decision.

There was one possibility that brought hope through a restless night, but I would not know until the next morning when my "Tuesday office" unlocked it doors. Sure enough, the next morning a coworker found it for me, innocently sitting on my desk where I had left it in a rush, gathering up papers and laptop as I went out the door. The relief was tangible. The Gardener left on his way, and we were very grateful.

A friend, Christiania, who often shares her clothes with me, had passed along a very nice pair of very cute "flats" recently. Before I left for my Tuesday office to retrieve the phone, I decided to try them on one more time. They really were just a tad too large for me. Flapped around when I walked. But oh so cute. I decided to take them along. I had in mind a friend or two at the office who might be able to wear them.

The first friend loved them and tried ... but her feet were too big. The second friend knew her feet were too small. The third friend's feet were too wide. The fourth friend's feet were too large and she needed support in her shoes. I began to think I was searching for Cinderella! The fifth friend wasn't in her office. I headed for the kitchen, shoes in hand, out of ideas and planning to grab a coke for the ride home. I passed S's office. Stopped and looked in. "S, what size shoe do you wear?"  Bingo.  And she "happened" to be dressed in brown and black. The very cute shoes were brown with black accents. A smile grew on her face as she reached for them and took off her old, slightly scuffed brown shoes. "You know," she told me, "just this morning when I put on these sad, old shoes, I talked to God about how much I needed a new pair of shoes." 

"What?" I asked her to repeat what she had just said. We looked at each other, our eyes filling, smiles so broad you could measure them. The shoes looked perfect and so cute with her outfit.

The night before, when I knew my phone was lost and I was filled with frustration, I didn't handle it too well. Once I calmed down, I reminded myself that God ordains my life, even, I believe, to the small details of lost phones. I wondered if there was another reason besides my need to let go of my plans and accept more calmly the chaos that comes into my life. The next day, when I knew where my cell phone was, I thought again if there was some other reason I was going to make that long drive to the office. What made me stop in the closet and look at the shoes again? And why did I pass S's office to get a coke (very unusual for me)? There's an old hymn that says "God moves in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform."  

Even small wonders.

24 comments:

  1. Yes, HE does! What a great story.

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  2. Dotsie,
    Great story with a great ending. And glad you found your phone. Amazing how we every lived without them, isn't it?

    Carol

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  3. ever lived....perhaps another cup of coffee is in order....

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  4. All the details worked with a delightful ending. Encouraging words :)

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  5. Sometimes I feel a little guilty about asking God for so much--help with the minutest details of my life at times. "He has so much to see too" I tell myself. I think your wonderful post today emphasizes the fact that God has time for all of us in every way.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  6. Great encouragement! Last night I had a very similar thought and started singing that song, "His eyes are on the sparrow and I know He watches me." God hears us and carefully orchestrates everything in our lives. Thanks for the blessing today!

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  7. That is a wonderful story. I am so glad that you shared it. (I may even remember it as my daughter called last night to say it was time to upgrade our cell phones. Do you know what I told her? We like our cell phones just fine.) I love the image of you two gals standing there with your eyes brimming as you realized, once again, that God is always on the job, even in things like cell phones and new shoes.

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  8. Oh, I LOVED your post today!
    Linda at Beautiful Ideas

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  9. What a happy ending to a story for both!

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  10. This is a wonderful story! Very heartwarming!

    XO,
    Jane

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  11. There really are no coincidences, are there?
    I loved this!

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  12. What a wonderful story. Sometimes (often for me) we forget that God is interested in the smallest details of our lives. Thanks for sharing this reminder of God's caring.

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  13. Great story told by a great teller!

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  14. This post gives me hope, my sweet. Thanks so much for sharing it. Brought tears to my eyes as well.

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  15. What a lovely story. I enjoyed reading.
    ~Clara

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  16. Amen! God has answered my prayers this week - we are all truly blessed to have him as our Lord and Savior!

    Enjoy your weekend!

    Leann

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  17. He does indeed work in mysterious ways, Dotsie! I've had some recent experiences with "angels" that have come into my life to help me with some chaos in my lfe right now.

    PS: So glad you found your phone!

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  18. In every small detail of our lives... love this story, Dotsie. Love it. Thank you so much for your prayers and your encouragement. I hope you are enjoying your blueberry farm visit!! xoxo tanna

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  19. I am so happy you shared this sweet post on Think on These Things :)

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  20. Anonymous11:31 AM

    What a sweet post this morning. God does work in mysterious ways. Joining you via Lorraine's blog.

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  21. Oh what a sweet story. and Cinderella, eat your heart out ... those cute brown shoes look WAY more comfy than glass slippers. Cause, OUCH.

    Best ... Cass
    PS No lilacs in the South? Oh NO!

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  22. Hi Dotsie
    I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason.
    How nice that the gal that really needed the shoes had them fit her perfectly.
    Thanks for sharing this story.
    Judith

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  23. Your story brought tears to my eyes...our God is so good, and yes He does indeed move in mysterious ways...and He moves us in mysterious ways too. It has happened to me more than once...

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  24. Wonderful story! It's true that things happen for a good reason. Even if we don't always understand it at the time.
    Glad things worked out for both of you. :-)

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