A friend's needle

Can I needle you for a minute? Listen (read)...

“Did I tell you about the needle story?”, she said. We agreed that she had not. She urged us on to finish with what we were doing and then she would tell us. But we knew her stories were always excellent and so we assured her we were done. “Tell us the needle story now!”, we said. So, as best as I can recollect, here is the story told to us by our friend who had not been with us in awhile because of the things going on in her life:

When I left you guys last Tuesday, I went home and got on my computer. I was on there for about an hour arguing with my ex, so absorbed I lost track of the puppy and you know how when its quiet they are up to something.

I went to get up to see what the puppy was up to and it felt like something was slicing around my ankles. I looked down and there was thread all around my feet. I had had a large spool of thread that I had used to repair the puppy’s teddy bear and the puppy had gone crazy with it! There was hardly any thread left on the spool. The puppy had been up and down the stairs and all over the house with the thread. He had run around the chairs wrapping my feet in the thread and he had it all over himself, some of it too tight. I had to cut it all off of him. But the darning needle was gone and I was suddenly afraid the puppy had swallowed it.

I felt awful, having been wrapped up on the computer arguing with my ex and not paying attention to what the puppy was doing and, now, he might have swallowed the needle. I had a cat that once had swallowed a needle, and only because it had gotten stuck in the upper part of his body, it hadn’t made it fatally to his guts. So I began to look all over for the needle, up and down the stairs. The thread was everywhere, but I couldn’t find the needle. I got very upset because I was worried the puppy had swallowed the needle and it was very late and I had to get some sleep in order to go to work in the morning. But I couldn’t sleep without knowing where the needle was – the puppy!

I felt I had to find the needle. This was not something you ask God. It was my responsibility. I was supposed to be watching the dog. I had to find it. And then I grew very upset! In despair, this became my life. I can’t find this needle and I can’t find my life – something in my life is lost! I wanted God to show me where the needle was; to find it! If He couldn’t find the needle, how could He find my life? That part of me that ignores that I know better kept saying God couldn’t find the needle, right? He’s not down here – He’s out there.

Early in the morning, I arranged with the veterinarian to x-ray the dog. But I had to go to work! How was I going to do all this? But I had to know where the needle was! I asked God please find the needle and I heard Him answer me, clearly, “Go upstairs, and stand by the window and wait.” “Right,” I responded and then immediately said “I’m sorry Lord”. I went upstairs and stood by the window. It was still overcast. All I could think about was that I had to go to work soon. How long was I supposed to wait? Why am I waiting? It is silly of me to ask God to find a needle. How long should I wait?

As I realized the sun was beginning to lighten the sky, I just had to get ready to go to work. I started to turn to do so, when a glint of something below caught my eye. It was the needle! Buried in the carpet with only a glint of it exposed by the sun showing, was the needle! God showed me where the needle was. God could do that. God did! God can find my life! How wonderful is our God!

The only thing God asked me to do was tell people. So I am telling everyone; I am telling you!

Thank you my friend for sharing God in your life; it ministered to us all. What a wonderful treat for our Tuesday Women's Study. So many messages to us in there. We serve a mighty, loving, unfathomable God.

So I’m sharing my friend’s story with you.