Lost Mitten

Baby, it is cold outside!  Air temperatures around -15 (F) with windchill hovering around -30 (F).  This means it is cold and windy.  The air hurts your face as one ventures outside the door.  The skies clear and blue with bright sunshine glaring off the snow covered ground.  Living in the upper mid-west, I am not a stranger to cold temperatures of winter.  

I live in a region where I have multiple wardrobes.  One for each of the four seasons and another one for my ever fluctuating weight requiring different sizes.  Clothing storage in our home is of utmost importance.  We have multiple jackets,coats, hats, mittens, scarves to handle all the varying temperature swings.  Yesterday required my warmest layers as I ventured out.

I have a lovely pair of mittens that are luxuriously thick and plush. They are black with a cuff of faux white seal.  They keep my hands comfortable in the frigid air.  As well as warm, they are fashionable.  I feel pretty in my mittens.  Sadly, this is my second pair as I lost the first pair.  

I love my mittens for when I am outdoors but when I venture indoors, they need to come off.  Here is the problem with my wonderful mittens.  They are a bit bulky, thus not fitting into a jacket pocket.  They must be carefully watched as to not wander off.  Tucked inside a purse, clutched tightly, checked-on frequently to ensure they do not lose their way and become a set of lost mittens sitting in some lost & found drawer with other mis-placed mittens and hats.  Every place has a collection of lost winter wear.  (This is an idea for a great animated film - lost mittens & hats, like Toy Story or Island of Misfit Toys.  Did I just stumble onto a million dollar idea?)

Okay, yesterday I wore my treasured mittens.  I admired them as I drove down the road and relished that my fingers were not freezing.  I was out for the day on multiple errands.  Upon reaching my destination, I determined my mittens would be much safer on the passenger seat as I ventured in and out.  I left them, tucking my hands into my pockets as I dashed across the parking lot.  

Mission accomplished and feeling very good about  my day, I returned home.  I gathered up my packages and mittens from the car.  I entered the house and began sorting through everything.  To my dismay, I only had one mitten, ONE!  I have two hands and only one mitten.  How could my mitten be lost sitting on the passenger seat with my hat?  I retraced my steps to the car, searched the car, called every store I visited in hopes someone turned it in, I was baffled and disappointed.  I just could not figure out how it disappeared, I was sure it was there on the seat when I arrived home.  That's it I thought, cheap mittens for me from now on, they never get lost, I have several pairs many years old sitting in the basket.

I even ventured a little prayer about my lost mitten.  You know, the prayer of the lost cause, not expecting anything.  A prayer about an item that surely God doesn't need to be bothered with as I know He has bigger issues in which to attend, I have a few bigger issues for Him than my lost mitten.  But I recall talking to God about my lost mitten, not expecting anything, really it's a mitten, easily replaced.  Mittens are lost everyday.

This morning, another bitterly cold morning, I arise to awaken my daughter and let the dog out.  I cracked the door open just enough for the dog to venture out to do her business and made my coffee.  As I opened the door to summon the dog back in, I saw across the patio in the dim light, a black spot.  Could it be? Is it really? Oh it is:  my lost mitten!  With my pajamas on, I threw on shoes and ran out into the -15 temperature to retrieve it.  You heard right, no jacket, no socks, into the freezing temps, I'm  a northern girl, I can handle it for 10 seconds.

I was reminded how much God cares for me.  Even though I figured a lost mitten was too small an item for Him to bother, He saved my mitten for me.  Waiting until the right moment to reveal it to me.  I wonder if He watched in delight as I excitedly retrieved my mitten much as I watch my own child take delight.  Is it difficult for Him to wait in anticipation of my happiness as it is for me when I know my child will squeal with delight?  I wonder if He wanted to wake me up in the night to show me my lost mitten.  And I wonder if I missed His small, still voice yesterday as I searched and said my little fatalistic prayer.  

Lesson of the day:  God cares and takes delight in me.  I believe He desires me to bring everything to Him, even things like lost mittens.  I need to remember this everyday.  I desire to practice a better discipline of talking to God about all things, not just the crisis prayers.  He is a friend and father. 

Today I stand in awe in His delight of me to save my mitten and allow me to find it.  It has made my day!