Surprise Blessing

I'm feeling extremely blessed today. Last week I prayed a random prayer because I had no blog inspiration. I prayed that God would give me a story to tell. A story that would prove His power, because I want to use my blog as a testament to Him and His power in my life.

After I prayed that prayer, I felt a little nervous. It felt a little like praying for patience, if you know what I mean.

However, God answered my prayer, and He did it in a way that completely blessed me. So here is my story:

I've been growing my hair for Locks of Love since August of '09. At this point, I think I have about 12 inches to donate, and I'm chomping at the bit to get it cut! Normally I get my hair cut at a cheap walk-in place like Best Cuts or Famous Hair. I just don't see the point in dropping a ton of cash on a haircut. However, since it's been so long since I've gotten mine cut, I had been playing with the idea of going to a nice, semi-expensive salon this time. After thinking about it for months, I picked out a salon and had an amount in my head that I was willing to spend on my haircut.

I have been trying to save up my splurge money for my haircut for weeks now, but things just kept coming up, and I haven't been able to accumulate any money. On top of that, I have to buy a dress for my sister's wedding.

On Sunday morning after I washed my hair, I was brushing my foot-long, curly locks and feeling slightly down. I still had to buy the dress for Julie's wedding, and I needed to buy some spring work clothes as well. It looked like my haircut was either going to have to be put on the back burner or I was going to have to suck it up and go get another $12 cut at the mall.

When I got to church, I immediately saw Kim. Kim is Max's owner, and Max is the dog I've watched a couple of times this winter while she's been out of town. (Remember him? The cute, little, white fur-ball?)

Kim gave me a hug and handed me a bag as a thank you for watching Max. I didn't have a chance to look at it until a few moments later when I was in the bathroom before the church service started. Too curious to wait, I set the bag on the counter and pulled out it's contents.

Inside was a gift card. a gift card for the exact salon where I had wanted to get my haircut, and for the exact amount I had been planning to spend.
I know a haircut isn't earth-shatteringly important. Nevertheless, I had to dab at a few tears as I walked into the service on Sunday morning. I felt so blessed!

God will always provide for our needs. But it's so amazing to know that He cares about the little extra things, too. I have been going through a few stressful (yet very exciting!) weeks making some big decisions about my life. and it was such a comfort in the midst of all of that to receive this blessing. I saw it as a little ray of hope that everything is going to work out fine. If God cares enough to bless me with a special haircut, He definitely cares enough to carry me through this journey upon which I am about to embark. (That sentence sounds so formal, but I couldn't make myself end it in a preposition. haha!)

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." ~ Matthew 10:29 - 31

Ask God for a ray of hope today if you are feeling unsure about any aspect of your life! And remember that if He cares about the little things, how much more does He care about the big things?