no such thing as a little thing

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!" -Psalm 105:1

I'm just back from a weekend road trip to Atlanta. I've driven road trips before, but this was definitely the longest distance I've ever conquered. When it was all said and done, I'd chalked up over 1,300 miles. (It's also the longest my car has ever done, poor thing. But it seemed to enjoy the drive.)

This trip, and events in the days before and after, have given me some pretty clear opportunities to see the Lord's provision and timing. Since it's always good to thank Him for everything, I wanted to share some of those things with you.

• I somehow managed to stay active and alert during everything, from the drive to all our scheduled events, except for a little road time between Atlanta and Nashville when I just needed a nap. This is kind of a big deal since I'm not a morning person, but wasn't late for anything the whole weekend.

• On the way down we ran into a torrential, can't-see-the-vehicle-in-front-of-you rain storm in a construction zone. Even had a concrete wall just a foot or two away for part of that time. Nearby lighting strikes and slight hydroplaning were frequent, and given the flat terrain I wondered about the potential for flash flooding. But I was incredibly calm the whole time. I asked the Lord for protection, and that was that. I knew who was in control of that storm, and it wasn't me.

• We didn't realize it's recommended to purchase tickets in advance for the Georgia Aquarium. We got online at the hotel to find there were some left for the next day and we needed to print them out. The hotel staff went out of their way to get those tickets printed for us, and someone a staff member knew even let them borrow their printer to do so.

• On the way back we needed gasoline. I knew this as I pulled out, but didn't bother to think about it again until the light was on. In the middle of nowhere, with few exits or towns, I asked the Lord for a petrol station. We found one shortly thereafter, with no delays or construction in between. (FYI, we currently don't carry a cell phone.)

• I have some food sensitivities, but never had a problem feeling ill on the road. The Hard Rock Cafe in Nashville went out of their way to prep me a plate I could eat with no problems. (And it was sooo good.)

• Even the day after we got back, when I had a crazy morning and forgot to bring my lunch to work, He provided again with food left over from a wedding which was something I can safely eat and just enough to curb my hunger.

I could definitely go on. I know none of these were Earth-shattering events. It doesn't affect anybody but me and some of my friends. But so often people get caught up looking for God to do some huge bread-from-Heaven event that we miss out on the little ways He provides for us every day.

And I hesitate to use the word "little." Nothing the Lord and Creator of the universe does is truly small. But a lot of us in the free world seem to feel some sense of entitlement for every good thing that goes our way, and absolute outrage at any minor hindrance to our lifestyle - or even our particular moment - forgetting to thank Him at all for giving us all He has provided.

Happily I can say that I thank God not only for all the stuff I listed (and a hundred other things I didn't), but even for the fact that He pointed those things out to me. Even for the fact that I can see reliance on Him is the only way to go. Even for the fact that I can share this with you now. I'm thankful for all that.

Look around. Give thanks for all He does for you. You might just see His greatness even in the things you now consider small.