Hide-N-Seek Faith
Patti Thor
While at a conference in Denton, TX, my 11-yr. old daughter Rachel requested a Tweety shirt for a souvenir. She asked on the phone Friday evening just seven minutes before I had to be at a meeting that would last past store hours. I was to fly out the next morning. There would be neither shopping time nor any stores along my way except airport stores.
Saturday, my new friends Elsie and Nina drove me to the airport. On the way, we prayed that the Lord would provide a Tweety shirt. After hearing a story that week of how Robb Thompson "pressed in" and was able to get chocolate milk for a friend's little girl while at a Chinese restaurant, I now had the faith to press in. What if Rachel was asking the Lord for this Tweety shirt? How could I have the Lord look bad in her eyes? I knew the Lord would provide it somehow.
Having only $5 in my wallet, I was completely confident He would provide the shirt somehow for $5. After praying, Elsie gave me a $10 bill. At the airport, she gave me another $10 to buy some food on my trip.
My original trip home was scheduled on Friday through the Philadelphia Airport. When I changed my flight to Saturday, they routed me through Pittsburgh.
We landed in Pittsburgh – 19 minutes ahead of schedule (a noteworthy miracle itself!) I walked around some of the shops in the Airmall, but quickly realized that they would not carry this kind of product. Being from Pittsburgh originally, I remembered that there was a Wal-Mart a few exits up the Parkway. I would not have known anything about Philadelphia.
The taxi driver said it would cost about $25 to go up to the Wal-Mart and back, not including the time spent in the store. Not having a way to pay if it went over $25, I could not use the taxi. He suggested the share-a-ride. Those people suggested the PAT public transportation bus. Although I did have nearly 2 hours to catch my flight to State College, I knew that it would take an act of God to get me there and back in time via the buses.
Stepping out in faith, I sat and waited on the bench for the bus, risking not making my connecting flight home. After a few minutes, I saw Angie and her friend Donna whom I had just met at the conference in Denton. They were getting on the bus to go to long-term parking. My heart leapt and I quickly ran over and asked if they could drive me to the Wal-Mart and back. I told them that I wanted to get a Tweety shirt for my 11-yr. old daughter? Donna exclaimed, “Oh honey, I’ll do anything for a child”
When we got to the parking lot, the bus driver helped us with their luggage. He was very kind and obviously a brother in Christ. We shared with him some of our stories from Denton and the Lord spoke to my heart to give him a $10 bill as a tip. It turned out that Donna wanted to give him $10, but she didn’t have the correct bill. But thanks to Elsie, I did.
When we got to Wal-Mart, the ladies dropped me off by the door. My faith was so high to find that Tweety shirt, because I knew that He didn’t bring me this far to disappoint me. I went to the back of the store and started looking and asking the Lord where my shirt was. He answered, “It’s hidden.” To me that meant that He had it stashed somewhere so no one else would get it, much like my trip to Value City (another miraculous story). So I started praying that those things, which are hidden, would come into the light.
As I walked around in the girls’ section and did not see it right away, I could feel fear start to choke in my throat. I kept rebuking it; after all I knew that He didn’t bring me this far to disappoint me. I went into a smaller aisle and started to praise and worship the Lord and to thank Him for the Tweety shirt. I went back to searching. I started to chuckle as I realized that He was playing hide-n-seek with me and said, “I get it Lord, you’re teaching me faith.” I got more playful in my searching. I began to get distracted by some other shirts that my other daughters would like. I shook off the distraction and continued. Then He said to me, “focus like a child would focus.” That meant to me a child on Christmas morning who devours the wrapping paper to get to the gift or a child on an Easter Egg hunt who can see nothing but those brightly colored eggs. So I stepped up my enthusiasm and focus.
Finally, I came across a Tweety shirt with long sleeves and a power bead bracelet in a size 14-16. I knew that shirt would not delight Rachel’s heart because we had already returned that kind at our own Wal-Mart. Torn between pressing on with no shirt and having ‘at least something’, I put that one on my arm ‘just in case’ nothing better came along. Immediately, I knew I had to let it go and risk someone else buying it or I would not find the one He had hidden for me. So, I put it back, recalling blind Bartimaeus who let go of what he had by removing his mantle to receive his healing (Mark 10:46-52).
A few minutes later, pushed way back inside between two shirts was a beautiful red short sleeved Tweety shirt with a little Tweety charm by the neckline. It was a perfect size 10-12 and unlike one we had seen before! It delighted my soul and I was sure it would delight Rachel’s! I was able to buy the shirt on sale and a pack of gum for each of my children for just under $10.
On the way back through the airport, I met a security guard whom I was able to encourage in his faith and joy in the Lord. Also, while riding on the train to the gates, I was able to share Christ's love with a pilot who was an atheist by belief but practiced the Christian religion. Neither of whom I would have met, had I not left the airport.
All divinely appointed because of a young girl’s desire for a Tweety shirt and a mother’s new understanding of how the Lord could use hide-n-seek faith as the evidence of things not seen.
Saturday, my new friends Elsie and Nina drove me to the airport. On the way, we prayed that the Lord would provide a Tweety shirt. After hearing a story that week of how Robb Thompson "pressed in" and was able to get chocolate milk for a friend's little girl while at a Chinese restaurant, I now had the faith to press in. What if Rachel was asking the Lord for this Tweety shirt? How could I have the Lord look bad in her eyes? I knew the Lord would provide it somehow.
Having only $5 in my wallet, I was completely confident He would provide the shirt somehow for $5. After praying, Elsie gave me a $10 bill. At the airport, she gave me another $10 to buy some food on my trip.
My original trip home was scheduled on Friday through the Philadelphia Airport. When I changed my flight to Saturday, they routed me through Pittsburgh.
We landed in Pittsburgh – 19 minutes ahead of schedule (a noteworthy miracle itself!) I walked around some of the shops in the Airmall, but quickly realized that they would not carry this kind of product. Being from Pittsburgh originally, I remembered that there was a Wal-Mart a few exits up the Parkway. I would not have known anything about Philadelphia.
The taxi driver said it would cost about $25 to go up to the Wal-Mart and back, not including the time spent in the store. Not having a way to pay if it went over $25, I could not use the taxi. He suggested the share-a-ride. Those people suggested the PAT public transportation bus. Although I did have nearly 2 hours to catch my flight to State College, I knew that it would take an act of God to get me there and back in time via the buses.
Stepping out in faith, I sat and waited on the bench for the bus, risking not making my connecting flight home. After a few minutes, I saw Angie and her friend Donna whom I had just met at the conference in Denton. They were getting on the bus to go to long-term parking. My heart leapt and I quickly ran over and asked if they could drive me to the Wal-Mart and back. I told them that I wanted to get a Tweety shirt for my 11-yr. old daughter? Donna exclaimed, “Oh honey, I’ll do anything for a child”
When we got to the parking lot, the bus driver helped us with their luggage. He was very kind and obviously a brother in Christ. We shared with him some of our stories from Denton and the Lord spoke to my heart to give him a $10 bill as a tip. It turned out that Donna wanted to give him $10, but she didn’t have the correct bill. But thanks to Elsie, I did.
When we got to Wal-Mart, the ladies dropped me off by the door. My faith was so high to find that Tweety shirt, because I knew that He didn’t bring me this far to disappoint me. I went to the back of the store and started looking and asking the Lord where my shirt was. He answered, “It’s hidden.” To me that meant that He had it stashed somewhere so no one else would get it, much like my trip to Value City (another miraculous story). So I started praying that those things, which are hidden, would come into the light.
As I walked around in the girls’ section and did not see it right away, I could feel fear start to choke in my throat. I kept rebuking it; after all I knew that He didn’t bring me this far to disappoint me. I went into a smaller aisle and started to praise and worship the Lord and to thank Him for the Tweety shirt. I went back to searching. I started to chuckle as I realized that He was playing hide-n-seek with me and said, “I get it Lord, you’re teaching me faith.” I got more playful in my searching. I began to get distracted by some other shirts that my other daughters would like. I shook off the distraction and continued. Then He said to me, “focus like a child would focus.” That meant to me a child on Christmas morning who devours the wrapping paper to get to the gift or a child on an Easter Egg hunt who can see nothing but those brightly colored eggs. So I stepped up my enthusiasm and focus.
Finally, I came across a Tweety shirt with long sleeves and a power bead bracelet in a size 14-16. I knew that shirt would not delight Rachel’s heart because we had already returned that kind at our own Wal-Mart. Torn between pressing on with no shirt and having ‘at least something’, I put that one on my arm ‘just in case’ nothing better came along. Immediately, I knew I had to let it go and risk someone else buying it or I would not find the one He had hidden for me. So, I put it back, recalling blind Bartimaeus who let go of what he had by removing his mantle to receive his healing (Mark 10:46-52).
A few minutes later, pushed way back inside between two shirts was a beautiful red short sleeved Tweety shirt with a little Tweety charm by the neckline. It was a perfect size 10-12 and unlike one we had seen before! It delighted my soul and I was sure it would delight Rachel’s! I was able to buy the shirt on sale and a pack of gum for each of my children for just under $10.
On the way back through the airport, I met a security guard whom I was able to encourage in his faith and joy in the Lord. Also, while riding on the train to the gates, I was able to share Christ's love with a pilot who was an atheist by belief but practiced the Christian religion. Neither of whom I would have met, had I not left the airport.
All divinely appointed because of a young girl’s desire for a Tweety shirt and a mother’s new understanding of how the Lord could use hide-n-seek faith as the evidence of things not seen.