God Winks: Cotter Pins and Sunbeams
A short time after I
left my things behind (refer to Read It Again and Again and…) I was alone, working
around my mother’s ranch. Somehow I had
acquired a two wheeled wheelbarrow which made the work much easier, but it kept
getting flat tires the repair of which required a trip to town and at least an
hour and a half of lost time, not to mention the 40 mile round trip. I decided to buy some NO-Flat tires. Then of course I had to go through the
process of changing them. I’m pretty
handy and I read directions. It did not
look complicated so I set about the job, looking forward to having to do it
only once per tire and ever after—no more flats.
Part of the process
required unbending and removing a cotter pin in order to remove the old
tire. Then I needed to replace the pin
to secure the new super tire. For those less
familiar with things mechanical, a cotter pin is like a hair pin on
steroids. It is thicker and
stronger. It actually comes in many
sizes depending on what’s needed for the job.
This one was about an inch and half long.
I was in the aisle
at the back of the barn on a cement floor where any lost parts would be easily
visible. The first tire removal and
replacement went smoothly. On the second
round, I unbent the pin as best I could but it still had a little kink in
it. I grasped the other end with pliers and pulled. It did not budge. I pulled harder. It still did not budge. I grasped the pliers harder...and gritted my
teeth...and yanked on that thing!
PLING! It came flying out…not
only did it come out of the axle but it came out of the pliers. I heard it land…softly!...somewhere in the
vicinity of a the hay stack.
Now I had to find a
needle in a haystack! I ran my hand
through the loose leaves and stems then hung my head in despair. I prayed:
Father, I really need that cotter pin!
I don’t want to have to go to town and waste the time and the money to
drive all that way in order to get something that only costs pennies. Please, Father, can you help me find that
cotter pin?!
I opened my eyes and
there streaming through a tiny hole in the roof was a sunbeam. And at the end of the sunbeam…the cotter pin
in the hay. I cried! To think God cared about something so small
was simply overwhelming. I thanked him
profusely and quickly finished the repair…and I will never forget his loving
care… and his present of a sunbeam!
“Are not two sparrows sold for a
penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.
And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you
are worth more than many sparrows.”
Matthew 10:29-31 NIV
What
challenge are you facing today? No
matter if it is tiny and seemingly insignificant or if it is monumental and
potentially life changing…God cares! He
may not remove it but he will be with you through it and THAT is the greatest
gift of all…the gift of his presence.
His presence will free your mustang heart…if…you will let him in!
P.S. If you are blessed by this blog, don’t forget to leave me a comment or send me an email. Feel free to share it on your social media. If you receive this in your email, you may need to visit the webpage (link is in the footer) to find the share buttons. Thanks!
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Teri