Now Think On This
Steve Martin
“What's the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail — even numbering the hairs on your head! So don't be intimidated by all this bully talk. You're worth more than a million canaries.” (Matthew 10:29-31 THE MESSAGE)
The phone call came about 6 pm that Wednesday evening. I had missed the earlier text. My oldest daughter Hannah, eight months pregnant with her first-born Levi, had been in a car accident. She was okay. But her two year old Hyundai Elantra was totaled, trapped between three other stopped cars when rear ended by a high school senior football player who was texting. He was going 40 mph when he slammed into the string of cars, as the eye witness said. The 18 year old hadn’t seen the red light.
Remembering back, Laurie was eight months pregnant with Hannah when, while driving our Chrysler station wagon, was surely thinking about the upcoming Christmas holiday, and didn’t see the red light. Result? Two cars totaled – ours and the other. That was in late December of 1983 in East Lansing, Michigan. Again, a red light missed.
The devil hates all of our Lord’s creation, especially the unborn, and will try to kill them anyway he can. (Hannah was surprised when we told her about that time, after her accident.)
This time around, Laurie rode with Hannah in the ambulance to the hospital. Hannah was not hurt, bless the Lord, but they wanted to make sure Levi had not been traumatized. Six hours later the word came back that all was good.
But then Hannah needed another car. So the following Monday, after getting off from my office job, I was available to help her in her quest for one. We stopped at Hardee’s to get a sandwich, and then onto the car dealer. Her blessing from the Lord came soon. Though what the enemy of our souls meant for evil, death and destruction, the Lord had other plans. Hannah drove her new crossover vehicle home. It would be big enough for a new stroller and more, for her family of four.
On Tuesday morning I went to get my keys to make the 6 am, 14 mile drive to work in uptown Charlotte. But my keys were not in the usual spot. I looked all over, prayed, looked, prayed, and looked again. In the car, in the bedroom, in the living room chairs; even in the garbage, thinking maybe they fell out of my IDF (Israel Defense Force) fleece jacket when I took out the trash. Nada. Nothing.
The security guard let me into the office, being no other staff would arrive until two hours later for daily work. But with no key to open my desk drawers, I thought my day wouldn’t be too productive. A few times the word “garbage” came to me, so I again checked our recycle bin and the home dumpster when I got home from work. Nothing. Just dirty hands.
So I took the dumpster to the street curb for the weekly early morning pick up the next day. That night I searched again for the lost keys. Nothing. No one else had seen them. I knew I would have to get copies of the six keys that I had on the Messianic symbol key ring bought in Israel, if not found. What a pain. So the search continued with no good results.
At 5:55 am on Wednesday morning, before I used our spare key to drive to work, I said to the Holy Spirit, “You know where those keys are. Please tell me.” Again the word “garbage” came to me. I got a flashlight and walked to the dumpster on the curb, hoping any neighbors also leaving for work at that early time wouldn’t see me and think I was a garbage picker. (I didn’t have a hoodie or hat on, just to make extra sure of that.) The garbage truck would come within an hour or so.
The thought came to look for the Hardee bag. Why not? So I did. It was just a bit down in the dumpster bin pile. I pulled out hamburger wrappings and an empty shake plastic cup (strawberry if you want to know) to get to the bottom. And there, as they had been for the past 36 hours, were my keys! Hallelujah Lord!!! Why I had not seen them before I may never know. But He does, and the rest is left in His hands.
I quickly wrote a joyous note to Laurie, letting her know of even this simple thing the Holy Spirit did for me, and then drove on to work. And yes, I shared the good news story with the 27 year old security guard James. I wouldn’t need his door opening assistance again.
The Lord cares all about us. He cares for our spirit, He cares for our body, He cares for our soul. He even cares about our lost keys. If we seek Him, He will show us the way.
I bless the Lord and will daily call upon His Name. He is our salvation, which is the meaning of His Name, Yeshua (Jesus) in Hebrew. Thank you Lord!
Now think on this, with His love and mine. And if you lose your keys, ask the Holy Spirit to help!
Steve Martin
Founder
Love For His People, Inc.
My note to Laurie that morning:
Note: It was actually a Hardee’s bag, not Burger King.
Especially at this end of year time, we sure could use your help to bless the families we do in Israel, India, Pakistan, Vietnam and the hurting ones here in the USA. Please give out of the abundance you have been given.
Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA humanitarian organization started in 2010 to share the love of the Father in the nations.
If these messages minister to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $5-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families we know in Israel, whom we consistently help through our humanitarian ministry. Your tax deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.
Click here for safe ONLINE GIFT GIVING THROUGH OUR WEBSITE using major credit cards: Love For His People. If you don't have a PayPal account you can also use your credit card or bank account (where available).
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Todah rabah! (Hebrew – Thank you very much.)
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Now Think On This - In the year of our Lord 12.23.15 - #223 –“Even the Simple Things” – Wednesday at 7:30 pm
All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This
Again, I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve
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