“The toaster is dead,” I told my three small children as I put plates of untoasted bread in front of them.
My heart broke as I saw their disappointed faces staring at their bread. Toast was a food group at our house.
“Can’t we just buy another one?” my son asked.
“We don’t have the money for a new toaster. But let’s ask the Lord for one, and let’s see what He does.” And we did.
I discovered over the next few weeks how much I missed our toaster. Not just the food itself, but the convenience of dropping bread in and watching toast pop up. I even tried making toast in the oven, but we won’t talk about that. I was frustrated and discouraged, but trusted the Lord to teach us something.
I came home one day and found a letter in the mail from a friend I hadn’t heard from in years. Tears filled my eyes as I read the note: “We don’t know why, but we really felt the need to send you $20. We hope it meets a need you have.” That’s exactly what I needed to buy a new toaster. I was even able to buy one with extra wide slots, so we could toast bagels.
As the psalmist proclaimed, the Lord came through for us, met our need, and showed us love all at the same time. If He had replaced the toaster immediately, we would not have realized how much we missed it. The longing for a new toaster made the gift from Him more precious.
The Lord answers our prayers in His timing and in a way that brings the most benefit to our hearts.
If you are waiting for something from God, trust that He knows the perfect timing to give you the desire of your heart.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
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Beth Tavalin is a single mom of three children. She works for her church, a Messianic Jewish congregation, where she is the administrator and helps lead the women’s ministry. She teaches a monthly Bible study that explores the Jewish culture behind the Scriptures and is passionate about what the Lord has done and is doing in her life.