God
Knows, Y’all!
Your
Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Matthew 6:8 [He also knows what you want.]
Last week while chatting
with friends, I began lamenting over the weather forecast for the upcoming
Saturday− 85% chance of rain in the town where I was planning to sell my books
at an outdoor arts festival. I had
already paid the nonrefundable fee of $50 and dreaded the thought of setting up
in the rain for a show that would likely have only a handful of browsers and
shopper.
When I realized I was
sounding like a negative grumbler it occurred to me that God is in charge of
the weather. And besides, He’s the One Who called me to do what I’m doing−
write and sell my books. My bemoaning was surely not honoring Him. So I came to
myself, looked at my friends, threw my hands in the air, and in my naturally
southern way, declared, “God knows, y’all!” They agreed and we laughed together.
The next day while thinking
about the fact that God truly knows,
my thoughts turned to an experience I had had several months earlier where He
clearly showed me that truth. It happened at my 40-something high school class
reunion. I’m still blown away by what happened that night.
An old classmate came over
and sat down with my husband and me and said he wanted to tell me something. I
eagerly listened as he began describing an old photograph he had bought in an
antique store a few years back and he thought I would like to have it.
As he continued on, I knew
the exact photo he was talking about and it was all I could do to hold back
tears. In fact a few began to leak no matter how hard I tried.
The picture was of my
brother, Tommy, as a sophomore, sitting in the locker room before a baseball
game. It had been taken by a yearbook staffer and held a major spot in the
yearbook that year (1966) as the sports section intro page.
Very puzzled, I asked my
former classmate how in the world he came to find it in an antique store and
where. A few years earlier I had been told that it was in a box in storage and
would be given to me when the box was emptied.
This photo had been given to
Charles Fretwell, a highly respected man in our city, who wrote a monthly
column for our local newspaper. When my brother, Tommy, was diagnosed with
cancer at the age of 19, Charles visited him and my parents and asked if he
could write about Tommy and our family’s experience. His column for that
edition was titled, “Tommy Edwards Puts on the Badge of Courage.”
Then after my brother lost
his battle with cancer, at age 22, Charles wrote about Tommy again, commending
his quiet courage and faith in God. Charles obviously thought highly of my
brother and admired his “quiet courage” as he expressed it.
A few years later, my
husband and I were visiting Charles in his office and I noticed, hanging on the
wall, the picture of Tommy-- nicely framed, and with a caption, “Tommy - Quiet
Courage.” I recognized it immediately as the one from the yearbook.
I said, “Wow Charles, you
have the picture of Tommy!”
He commented about how he
was so pleased to have it and we reminisced a little about days gone by.
Several years later Charles
and his wife both passed away and I was sent word from one of their daughters
that when they came across the photo of Tommy, which had gotten packed away,
they’d send it to me.
Then a few years later, at
this reunion, you can imagine my surprise when I was told it was found in an
antique store. My classmate didn’t remember the city or even the state where he’d
discovered it. But, God knew.
I said to him, “God had His
eye on that photo for me and kept it safe all these years! It’s just
incredible!”
He agreed and said how
pleased he was to give it to me and wouldn’t even let me reimburse him for the
price he’d paid. I’m still amazed every time I look at the photo of my dear
brother. It truly encapsulates his quiet nature and unassuming personality.
Little did we know, at the
time the photo was taken, that he would one day exhibit such quiet courage as a
young man struck with cancer in the prime of life. His faith in his Savior
sustained him and was a witness to his college friends as well as to our
community.
Some may say, “Big deal. It’s
just a picture.” I would respond, “True, it’s just a picture. And I could have
lived out my life never seeing it again or owning it and that would be okay.
It’s not like I thought of it often or fretted over it. I did not.”
But the fact that it was
basically tossed out, found, rescued, and then placed in my hands is just one
more example that God knows and God cares, even about little things.
Through this experience, God
reminded me that He’s literally on top of all things. At the time of his
illness and death, Tommy’s favorite song was, “His Eye is on the Sparrow,” as
sung by Mahalia Jackson. Indeed, God’s eye is on the sparrow, and on you and me
as well as every little thing that matters to you and me− such as a meaningful
photo from years gone by.
Let’s be mindful always
that, God knows, y’all!
Can you think of a time in
your life when God showed you He knows even though it may have
seemed like a small matter? (Or it might have been a bid deal.) Feel free to share in the comments below.
Thank you for reading my post today. I hope it encouraged you in some way.
©Copyright
2015 Connie Wohlford
