The majority of families have gone through financial difficulties.  My husband Mike and I were in a real pinch.  We had seven NSF (non-sufficient funds) fees at $35 a piece.  He called to see if he could buy a soda.  Living through a Florida summer, you can dehydrate very quickly.  He had drank all of his water, and he just needed some caffeine through the rest of the day.  I told him that we had a negative balance, so there was no way.

On his way back into the condo, he saw a soda machine.  He knew that he had one dollar.  He prayed that would be enough.  He walked up and saw it was $1.25.  He walked back out to his car and prayed there would be a quarter somewhere in his work truck.  He searched to the point of feeling silly.  He finally pulled up his seat in his last ditch effort for his quest of  twenty-five cents.  To his surprise, there sat twenty-five cents.  Stunned, he smiled.  It could have been a dime or a nickel, but it was not.  It was the quarter he had asked for.

When he was relaying the story to me, amazed that God cared enough to put a quarter under his seat, it made me think of the scripture verse I had heard so many times.

What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. Matthew 6:31-34 (MSG)

My eleven year old son rushed in from school one day busting with excitement.

“Mom, you are not going to believe what Jesus did for me today.”

Naturally, I was surprised.  Brett is our shy one, so you don’t always see him responding to our family devotions, or things at church.

Trying my best to act naturally, I asked, “What?”

He explained that there are two buildings he has to go through to get to get from one class to another.  There was one spot that wasn’t covered.  His eyes sparkled in wonder.

“Mom, I knew it was going to rain, so I hurried, and as soon as I got to the other side, BOOM!  It started pouring.  God did that just for me.  Isn’t it awesome?”

I tried to not cry and respond his excitement and hugged him.  I reminded him that God is always taking care of us.  I thought of all the little things in my day that I hadn’t paid attention that day.

Sometimes we are praying such “big prayers” and focusing on God not answering them, we forget how to see what he does for us daily.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with praying the “big prayers,” but remember and to look for the little thoughtful things that God fills your day.

Matthew 17:20-22 says: He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you."