Nov 14, 2025 – Finding
I know I’ve mentioned this already, but the leaves on the mountain across the valley from my mountain are still providing such interesting scenery. They aren’t as bold now, but there is still a dimension of color that catches my attention which has distracted me several times as I tried to get started writing this morning. I think my progress was stalled mainly because I’ve misplaced a piece of paper that has an account number I need in order to close out something from my father’s estate.
I had the paper in a notebook where I was keeping track of everything, but now the paper is gone. I have no recollection of taking it out and I now can’t find the stack of papers that sat on my dining room table for so long which might also have the number. My lack of organization is interrupting my forward progress. It’s so frustrating when trying to help someone find something and they say, “I don’t know” each time you ask when was the last time they saw it and what they did and what they did next etc. It’s even more frustrating when you have to ask yourself those questions and there’s no one to help you remember! I believe God cares about what bothers us; so, I have learned to pray about lost things throughout my life.
Many years ago it was a key for my office that was a master for other locks across the state that I was responsible for if there would be a strike by the union workers. When the strike didn’t happen and the key needed to be returned, I couldn’t find it. After days and days of searching (and warnings about my job), I prayed and felt led to check a purse I hadn’t used in a while that I had checked soooo many times. Each time I’d looked in the purse it wasn’t there, but this time I actually picked up that sticky note in the bottom of the purse and the key was taped to the underside! When I’ve gotten in situations since then, I’ve remembered the peace and directions He gave me and I call on Him again. I can’t really think of a time when I wasn’t led to where to find the items. Not all prayers are answered in the way I think they should be, but I do know God hears me and that His answers are what is best for how He’s leading me in my life.
JC – “Bask in the luxury of being fully understood and unconditionally loved…. Thank Me continually for the amazing gift of My Spirit within you. Try to depend on the help of the Spirit as you go through this day of life. Pause briefly from time to time so you can consult with this Holy One inside you…. He will guide you as you give Him space in your life.”
Power – John 14:26 – “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” Joyce continues on today’s theme with, “The Holy Spirit can remind you of — ‘bring to your remembrance’ – a Scripture when you need it, if you have the word of God in you…. Study the Word so the Holy Spirit has a deep reservoir of Scripture to pull from when you need Him to ‘bring to remembrance’ all that He has said.”
Utmost – Genesis 24:27 – “I being in the way, the Lord led me….” Many times we are indeed in our own way or think we know what we don’t actually know. Any of those times I looked in the purse, I could have turned that sticky note over but I assumed I was seeing everything clearly enough. A close relationship with God through His Holy Spirit helps us not miss the early promptings that potentially save us much time and anguish. Chambers writes, “We have to be so one with God that we do not continually need to ask for guidance…. We can all see God in exceptional things, but it requires the culture of spiritual discipline to see God in every detail.”
JA – Psalm 145:18 – “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” Young’s word from God, “Sometimes the place you are in seems desolate – devoid of My loving companionship. But you can call out to Me and know that I am by your side, eager to help.” This makes me think of Monday night at my aunt’s house. Several times since I’d gotten there, she had mentioned how frustrating her thermostat was and how frustrated her children were getting with her supposed inability to figure it out.
Because we were expecting freezing temperatures overnight, before she went back to bed, she asked how the temperature had been for me and I said fine. As I walked past the floor register in my room later and felt cold air blowing, I wondered if she had adjusted the temperature on her way to her room. I was surprised to find the thermostat was set on “cool”. I text’d my cousin for instructions but when he didn’t answer I decided I could figure it out; however, I had no idea what I was in for with that thermostat (which ultimately validated my aunt’s claims that the thermostat was the problem not her).
Even when I switched it back to “heat” it blew cold and when I pressed “menu” I got a zero and the temp was set to 200. When I pressed it again the temp went to 20. I powered off the unit to let its brains reset but when I turned it back on, the heat option disappeared! After several texts to my cousin, I figured he must be asleep so I prayed for God to wake him up and then powered off the unit. With still no cousin reply, I located extra blankets figuring my aunt would get some too if she got cold; however, I couldn’t shake being concerned. She’s 97; what if she just shivered in bed in the cold?
I finally decided I’d done all I could do myself and had put it in God’s hands so I needed to trust and go on to bed. I woke an hour and a half later pushing the covers off and realized that the room was warm. The thermostat was set on “cool” but the air was warm. When I picked up my phone to text my cousin, I saw a text from him that he’d been there and that he’d gotten frustrated with the unit too, but somehow got it to blow warm air while set on “cool”. God answered my prayer in His way…….
The hvac guy showed up the next morning saying that he’s had a lot of trouble with that thermostat and has had to replace every one he has installed. So none of us were crazy, even though we felt like it temporarily!
