Tomatoes and Parking Spaces
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5, 6.
There are many things I remember about Madeline Schmida. She lived in Huntington Beach, California. She had a strong personality and a big smile. I also remember her energy to serve Christ and study His word. But what I remember most about Madeline were her comments regarding tomatoes and parking spaces. At a Bible study I attended at the time, several of us were having a discussion on faith. Some of the attendees gave examples of how they exercised their faith. I found Madelaine's method very interesting.
She stated that she had learned to pray over everything, even things that would seem insignificant to most people. She described being at a grocery store and trying to select the best food for her family. For example, before she picked out the tomatoes to purchase, she would pray over them. She did this with all her grocery shopping, asking for God's guidance to make the best choice. At the time it was hard to fathom doing this over produce, but I realized the issue at hand was bigger than the tomatoes themselves.
Madelaine went on to say that she also prayed to find parking spaces. As she entered a parking lot, she would pray to find the spot the Lord wanted her to have. Upon hearing this, I could feel my left eye brow arching, and I was beginning to look like Sherlock Holmes. Nevertheless, I found what she said interesting and insightful. I yearned for that kind of faith and trust.
Since then, when I am in the produce section of a grocery store, I seem to always think of Madelaine and the lesson that God showed me through her. How can I trust God in the big things if I cannot trust Him with little things such as tomatoes and parking spaces?
Lord, I pray that my faith will continue to grow as I learn to depend on You with the big and little things in my life. Whether it is tomatoes, parking spaces, or anything else that comes up in my life, guide me to seek You out in prayer instead of making a decision based on my weak human understanding.
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