The other day I was looking for a specific t-shirt. I looked through my closet, under my bed, I’d washed and folded all the laundry (that was a miracle!), I’d checked and double-checked every last place I could think of- with NO luck whatsoever. I could not find that shirt anywhere. After a while I chose another shirt and tried to move on with my day, but it kept bugging me! I knew I had the shirt just a few days earlier and somehow it had disappeared right beneath my nose. Throughout the day I kept looking and searching, but that shirt was nowhere to be found.
Several times during my search, I had thoughts that maybe I should pray to find my shirt. Such a silly thought! Heavenly Father cares about me, I know. But he doesn’t care about a dumb little shirt. I have a hundred shirts, why should I bother the greatest being in the Universe with my silly little problem. Search, search, search… Why can’t I find it? Finally, I stood in my closet and whispered a little prayer, “please help me find my shirt”. I’m sure you can guess what happened next- I spotted the sleeve of my shirt sticking out of my husband’s side of the closet. Not even a minute after I prayed.
As soon as I found the shirt, I whispered, “thank you!” and very distinctly, the words came to my mind, “I care!”. I could have fallen to the floor and sobbed at that moment, because I knew- I KNEW that Heavenly Father cared. I have always felt that He loves me. I’ve known that He cared for me and about the things I’m going through. But I needed to know that he cared about the details of my life; I needed to know that he noticed me, during the seemingly insignificant times.
One of my favorite scriptures is in Matthew 10:29-30. “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” God knows us. He knows what we are going through, whether great or small. He knows of the calamities of the world, but he also knows of the whisperings of our hearts. He is aware of you and me. I know that, now. The spirit testified to me, in that silly moment of looking for a lost shirt, that he cares!
We are taught every week in church that the small things matter- reading your scriptures, saying your prayers, serving others- these are the small things that make the biggest difference. And such it is with our lives. The smallest moments can define us, and define our testimonies.
“God is in the details! Just as the Lord knows all of His vast creations, He also knows and loves each in any crowd—indeed, He knows and loves each and all of mankind!” Elder Neil A Maxwell
I’m grateful to a mindful and loving Heavenly Father, who has given me the opportunity to be a mother. Through that opportunity, I have been given a perspective more like His. When my children come to me with the small, seemingly insignificant cares of their hearts, I am able to love them and care for them and earn their trust a little bit more. So when the big trials come, I know that they will feel comfortable coming to me with anything.
Because I lost a silly shirt, I gained a more solid testimony that my Father in Heaven cares! That he knows me and loves me. I know that if he cares when I’ve lost a shirt, if he cares when a sparrow falls, and if every hair on my head is numbered- how much more will he care when my heart is aching or breaking. He cares! God cares about the small things too.
Thank you for reading this post. If you liked it, you might like these others I’ve written:
God Cares About the Small Things Too
5 articles every mom should read
Am I doing this Mom thing right?
Natalie, thank you for sharing this! I too have had testimony-strengthening moments when my seemingly insignificant prayers have been answered! Whether it’s something big like a check or just a stuffed animal that a kid needs to fall asleep, o know He cares about every detail of our lives! 😊