The Bottom of the Purse

This little angelic face, my great-grandson, just stares at me. A frantic grandma because the minutes are ticking away and I need to be somewhere. I missed another deadline. Plus the baby is all strapped in the carseat, in a hot humid garage. And I can’t find my keys.

I’m thinking he is to blame because you see, several times already today I have caught him putting things in my trash can. It’s cool because you step on this pedal and the lid comes up. This thing is magical to an almost 20 month-old. I have already retrieved several Rubbermaid container lids, my water decanter for my coffee maker, and various other things he sneaked in there when I wasn’t looking.

 So I call those waiting on me and tell them I lost my keys, again, take this little sweetheart out of the car and start going through the trash. But to no avail. I can’t find those darn keys. My husband comes in and he takes his little mag light and looks under the furniture, goes through the toy box. If would be funny; if it wasn’t so “unfunny” (is that even a word?) at the time.

Finally, I decide to go through my purse, again. There at the bottom, in a secret place I put them for safe keeping, are my keys. Why? What even? I tell myself I would have probably been in an accident with this sweet babe if I left the house when I planned to. We don’t know these things.

I remember a song that Amy Grant sang in the 80’s called “Angels Watching Over Me.” The lyrics cause us to consider how God intervenes in ways we have no clue the reason for. She sings, “a wreckless car ran out of gas before it ran my way.” So instead of boiling over when we are kept from our best thought out plans, we need to trust Him more. That there is a reason for the lost keys, the lack of finances, the missed opportunities that we believed were for our good. Even when we can’t see it.

“For He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” Psalm 91:11

I prayed, “God, you know where my keys are, so please, could you just tell me now?” I love what Alisa Keaton, from Revelation Wellness says, “God never says no, He says “I have something better.”” We don’t like “no.” We wouldn’t ask for something if we were looking forward to the “no” answer. It can be difficult because we don’t always find out what the “something better” is. I can tell you that there have been things I have asked for, that if God had granted them, it would have meant true disaster for me. He had something better. And He has something better for you. Whether or not He has to detain you from an appointment or cause you wait for the right person to marry. He is always good in His decisions.

The bottom of your purse is not your enemy. It is a good hiding place, but it is not your enemy. Mine sometimes holds coins, cracker crumbs, old sticks of gum when I’m dying for some. It’s a treasure house! Just what have you discovered in the bottom of your purse that you found at just the right time? And on this particular day, it hid my keys, maybe next time, it will be the first place I look.

“Angels Watching Over Me”

 

“Take this man to prison,” the man heard Herod say,
And then four squads of soldiers came and carried him away.
Chained up between two watchmen, Peter tried to sleep,
But beyond the walls an endless prayer was lifting for his keep.
Then a light cut through the darkness of a lonely prison cell,
And the chains that bound the man of God just opened up and fell,
And running to his people before the break of day,
There was only one thing on his mind, only one thing to say:

Angels watching over me, every move I make,
Angels watching over me!
Angels watching over me, every step I take,
Angels watching over me!

God only knows the times my life was threatened just today.
A reckless car ran out of gas before it ran my way.
Near misses all around me, accidents unknown,
Though I never see with human eyes the hands that lead me home.
But I know they’re all around me all day and through the night.
When the enemy is closing in, I know sometimes they fight
To keep my fight from falling, I’ll never turn away.
If you’re asking what’s protecting me then you’re gonna hear me say:

Got his angels watching over me, every move I make,
Angles watching over me!
Angels watching over me, every step I take,
Angels watching over me

Angels watching over me
Angels watching over me

Got his angels watching over me, every move I make,
Angels watching over me!
Angels watching over me, every step I take,
Angels watching over me!

Angels watching over me,
Angels watching over me,
Angels watching over me,
Angels watching over me!

Though I never see with human eyes the hands that lead me home

Songwriters: ELLIOTT B. BANNISTER,GARY W CHAPMAN,AMY GRANT GILL,MICHAEL WHITAKER SMITH
© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC,Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.,Universal Music Publishing Group,CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GR