by Linda Veath Cox
Now that’s an oxymoron if I ever typed one. A God appointment at a Walmart? Talk about a miracle. But it really happened. Actually twice in one day.
My plans were to be at Walmart by 8 a.m. Apparently God’s plans were for me to be there by eleven. My first God appointment was to see a friend I hadn’t seen in a long time. She’d been on my mind as I wondered how things were going with her mother. We had a nice chat and both agreed God had brought it about.
Then as I was leaving the store, I got to see my favorite breed of dog (my apologies to the Bone Mafia)—a Boston Terrier. Ah those BT kisses. Made my day.
I walked to the car thanking the Lord for the two “gifts” He had sent me. You see, the day before I had received some frustrating news. But God, in His all-knowing, ever-present, all-powerful ways, provided those little perks to remind me today that He is there, He will see me through, He will provide, and He will not forsake me. Period.
I wonder how many of those special God moments we miss because we fight to have “our” plans win out. Because we get in a hurry with our to-do list and don’t see others’ needs. Because we don’t look for God in the small things in life. Instead, we let stress propel us through the day, demanding that things go our way. Checking things off “our” list. Brushing others off if they get in the way of our agenda. No wonder we arrive home exhausted and grumpy, missing out on all the gifts God had waiting for us if we’d given Him the time.
While we do have responsibilities we need to fulfill, we also need to take the time to “smell God’s roses” and look for His direction throughout the day. He loves us and delights in sending us His appointments—yes, even at Walmart—to brighten our days.
My personal problems haven’t been resolved yet, but you know what? That just allows God more time to surprise me with His other appointments. And I rest in that!
Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
Proverbs 19:21 NIV
Linda Veath Cox is a regular contributor to DivineDetour. She recently retired after twenty-five years as a district office secretary for the State of Illinois. Her first loves are studying the Bible and reading, but she occasionally tries her hand at writing. Her work is published in All My Bad Habits I Learned from Grandpa (Thomas Nelson), The One-Year Life Verse Devotional (Tyndale), Life Lessons from Grandparents (Write Integrity), Love Is a Verb (a devotional from Bethany House), and Chicken Soup for the Soul’s I Can’t Believe My Dog Did That. She lives in a small town in the Midwest with the “Bone Mafia,” her two indoor/outdoor mutts.
Thank you, Linda, for a refreshing post.
Thanks for your note, Kay. There’s another Divine appointment in regard to Linda’s devotion this weekend. She put this piece together quickly as a gift to me, filling a spot I had open so I could work on a fiction manuscript.
Good friends are wonderful gifts from God.
Thanks for your note, Kay!
And thanks, Kathy, for yours. God certainly had this “appointment” planned for this weekend because the words weren’t coming for the other piece I was working on. His gifts to us, including our friends, bring such joy to our lives.