I steer the van into the carpool line and notice my son wrapped warmly in a sweater that he had not left the house with this morning. “Mom! It’s a miracle!” What’s that honey? I ask, “My sweater has been lost a whole year and today I found it. When I got to the bottom of the lost and found, my eyes popped; right there on the label was my name!” Just earlier this morning he had been distraught at the thought of the harsh change of temperature, fearing how the elements would affect him.

Funny. I had asked my son many times to look for this sweater and identify the writing with its indelible, black sharpie marking—identify it as being from our household. I knew the cold days and blustery winds were coming. During the frolic of spring fun, the summer splashing, and the sunny days of Texas fall, my admonition fell upon deaf ears. He had undoubtedly passed by it countless times over the course of his days; it was buried out of sight. Just the season before, I had carefully marked this layer of warmth with my son’s very own name knowing the time of need would come.

I smile broad and full behind the steering wheel—glad my son has found tangible comfort. As his mother, my greatest care is his well-being. I am simply overjoyed that he had turned his attention to the provision given—the provision that was there all along.

It made me think. How many times have I passed by the provision of God—have I felt the gentle prod of the Holy Spirit, and yet still run ahead of my own accord?

I, too, can run carelessly through one season and straight into the next, forgetting the promise written by the loving hand of Abba Father himself—the promise of his warming presence and peace that is inscribed with my very own name. The time inevitably comes when I feel the harsh winds of this life and how distraught I can quickly become. Yet how beautifully willing God is to provide the warmth of his presence when I seek to recover within it. How precious it is when he says, “I have called you by name; you are mine” (Is 43:1). He has given me the indelible identifier of being of the “household of faith” (Gal 6:10). This is eye-popping, miraculous provision indeed!