The Fruit Stickers

It was our third time pasting names on the kids belongings. After writing all of their names, multiple times, we put each nametag on the shelves where they keep their bags, the racks they hang their face clothes, under each month with their birth dates, and on their tables. We had worked the past few days during nap time cutting, pasting, taping, writing, etc. But a teacher came in and told us we had to do it over…yet again. Except this time we were to assign each student a fruit to be. And we would put a fruit sticker on their each of their nametags. With frustration, my teacher and I ripped all of the names off of the walls, tables, racks, and shelves. We sat down, and did it over again. Writing each name nicely, and placing a fruit sticker carefully at the end. We left that day without having time to paste the names. So the next day we got ready to finally finish when all of the work we had done was missing. We looked everywhere until we just decided we would have to do it ONCE AGAIN. We quickly finished, actually laughing because it was kinda funny, but, there were three names that didn’t have fruits because there weren’t enough stickers. I was a little annoyed. After all of this….only three names…three names weren’t completed. I literally prayed out loud and was like, “God please send us these stickers for Ryan, Leah, and Zachary! Lord, after all of this please send us some more stickers.” I continued to look on the table where we were working but all of the sticker pads were nearly empty. So I just decided to leave the names as they were. I mean, it isn’t even a big deal. Only frustrating because we had been working on this very small and simple task ALL WEEK. So as I finished cleaning up I found a brand new pack of fruit stickers that had the exact fruits that I needed on the same table I had been sitting at for hours. I immediately told my teacher, “Erica, God sent us the litchi, mango, and kiwi! Look here!” and showed her. She said “Praise God!” and we had finally completed this task.
 
Nahum 1:7:
The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.
 
I know that this story is definitely not the most interesting story ever. And it is such a small thing. Stickers. But through something so minor as this, God reminded me again that He is the ultimate provider. If He can take care of such minimal things as this, why don’t we trust Him to take care of our actual needs? Time and time again these last 8 months, I have heard of and watched as stories of provision have played out. Not only in my own life but in the lives of the teacher that I assist here in ZA, all of our contacts, my team mates here, family and friends at home, and even strangers. I’ve watched the process of miraculous healing because God is the ultimate Healer. And these people trust Him fully and supernaturally.
 
That should be our mindset. Not by being irresponsible but by trusting. God has given us a mind and the ability to make choices, so we should use this gift He has given us and not take it for granted. But we also can live a lifestyle of complete trust in Him. I have been practicing this by trying to give every moment to the Lord. Trusting that He guides my steps and conversations. Of course, I still go through some breakdowns and catch myself trying to do things on my own, but that’s when He does something so simple as send us a pack of brand new stickers. Because He is watching after us. He wants us to trust Him and hold on to Him. The enemy WILL attack, but God is so much bigger than that. Satan can just go somewhere else because he has NO place in the lives of those who trust in the Lord!
 
Let this be our prayer:
“In You, Lord my God, I put my trust. I trust in You. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. No one who hopes in You will ever be put to shame.”