Shopping ~ In God We Trust

Thank you all so much for your prayers!!! Haley and I were able to put in a very full day of shopping yesterday, and she seemed much more herself than she had been in days! She's not a natural shopper and gets sick of it very quickly, so for her to spend several hours at the activity is noteworthy in and of itself! It was a good day. Praise the Lord!

We spent longer than we'll admit at our first store, and most of the time we probably looked a lot like this:



This was not exactly a typical shopping trip where you can just go, pick up what you need based on what you've always bought before, and then be done with it! This time every single decision seemed monumental, and thankfully Beth (her friend who's been to Africa and who is going with her this time) was on the other end of the phone the countless times we called to ask her questions.

"Just how many baby wipes do you think we'll need to take? Flushable or just regular? Really, you're taking 4 80-count packages?"

After picking up what we thought would be a good amount of soap and shampoo, Beth said, "Just how often do you think we'll be showering? In Zambia our showers consist of dipping our head in a bucket -- and we all use the same bucket."

"What rating on the sunscreen do you think we should get?"

"Bug spray . . . you mean you really found one with 100% Deet? Where?"

"Backpack or duffel bag for my carry-on. I really need to know."

"How many calling cards do you think we'll need? Should we pick some up for you too? They're on sale!"

"How many snacks should we pack? We can't possibly pack enough for two months!" Beth's response: "As much as you can!"

"Where did you find your traveler's pillow?"

"Do you really think we need a mosquito net? I was told we didn't because it's winter down there." Beth's response: "Yeah, but you'll still want one. Last time we saw lizards and cockroaches in our tent."

"How many pairs of shoes are you taking? What kinds?"

"Do you think we'll be able to launder our clothes much? Should we take powder or liquid detergent?"

The questions went on and on and on. Every time we'd pick something up, I'd be looking at the weight on the bottle and wonder how many more times we could possibly do that and still meet the 50-pound limit. It just seems totally impossible and overwhelming!

Towards the end of the day as we were heading into another store, this old beat-up dime laying in the parking lot happened to catch my eye, so I bent down and picked it up. A few years ago, I read a story about a wealthy man who would stop to pick up a penny, and his poor companion couldn't figure out why he'd bother to do such a thing. He said that every time he sees a coin on the ground, he picks it up, pauses, and marvels at the words, "In God We Trust." He takes it as a reminder sent from Heaven above to just trust in God for his every need. That story has really impacted me, and yesterday's occurrence was no exception. Just take a look at this thing:



At a time when we felt pretty spent mentally, physically, and financially, God threw that battered coin in our path as the perfect reminder that He is in control, that He will take care of us, and that He will provide. All He asks us to do is trust and obey!

Easier said than done . . . I know. I'm CHOOSING to do that today.