sand dollars and pesos.

The words never escaped, at least not through my lips, but as my finger gently traced the shattered edge of the sand dollar I could hear my heart mutter wishes of wholeness. Though I wasn't disappointed, my little pouch was filling nicely with beautiful little seashells, shells with a purposeful future. So, I tucked the broken piece in my bag and continued down the beach, only now with newly planted hopes of finding a whole one, a pure and unbroken sand dollar. Well, it wasn't long, maybe a minute or so, that my eyes saw it. In all of its undefiled glory, there it sat, almost like it was waiting for me. It may have been the most meaningful find of my life. Not because I'd never found one before, although I hadn't, but because I had desired it, because my heart felt like it needed it. Because I had, only moments before, prayed for it. The Lord spoke to me; He showed me that when by faith we ask, then by faith we receive. He showed me that He is faithful, even in the little things, that if He can place a whole sand dollar in my path, He can do anything. It wasn't that I needed the sand dollar, God knew that, but I desired it, and not even for reasons more than that I just wanted to gaze upon it, to turn it in my hands and admire it.

I walked on, all the while praising Him and thanking Him for His goodness, and then I remembered that I needed to use the bano. There were outhouses close but they were five pesos. I didn't have five pesos. So, I kept walking and thinking that I would have to ask someone to borrow a coin. And then I saw something shining in the sand. Yeah, I know, I thought the same thing, REALLY Lord? You actually just put five pesos in my path knowing that I need it. I was stunned, like seriously shocked, that I was given, first the thing I asked for, and then the thing I needed, at the exact moment I needed it. Not ten minutes after finding the first gift and I was surprised, oh how silly a people we are. Of such little faith. So I just stood there, with my hands out, one holding a sand dollar and the other a coin, my spirit rejoicing. I was overcome with such a feeling of joy, an unexplainable peace from the depths that only God can give. I felt as though my flesh had faded completely and my spirit had finally won the battle. I forgot everything for a brief moment, every complication, every disappointment, every hardship, every battle, and I just basked in His Holy light.

Maybe it sounds simple to you, I mean big deal a sand dollar and five pesos, and really it was just that, simple. But I am beginning to see that it is in the uncomplicated that we can truly see how our Father works. It's in the small things that He proves Himself to be so faithful. He shows us simply so that when the complex happens we are more prepared. He spoke to me, to my spirit, and He can speak and show you too. He showed me that He can, that He will, give us the undefiled desires of our heart, no matter how great. And He spoke clearly to me that not only will He give us what we desire by faith, but He'll always provide what we need. Even if it is only a sand dollar and five pesos.