God’s Great Idea!

The Lord is brilliant, absolutely brilliant —His ideas work! I was looking for a new bedspread for my queen-size bed.

I had one in mind, but at the time, the store only had that one in full size. A few weeks later I looked again. We needed a darker bedspread because our cats leave little paw prints and fur behind. I went to the store, and there, among the many bedspreads on sale, was the very one that would work.

One queen-size bedspread in the color maroon! Thank You, thank You, Lord! Then I thought of the empty curtain rods over the two bedroom windows. They needed dressing up. I was in a different store looking at clearance items when the thought occurred to me that I could use the matching pillow shams that came with the bedspread to make curtain valances. Oh, what a thought! I went home and right to work. When I slipped the first finished valance over a rod, I felt totally thrilled with the result.

The Lord gave me the idea, and the idea really worked.

Then I transformed the second sham into a valance.

I felt amazingly happy —like a little kid. My next thought was to keep this a little secret and not say a word to my husband. I would let him be surprised by the new valances on his own. My husband entered the bedroom after work but made no comment. Maybe he’ll notice them in the morning, I thought.

The next day as he was getting ready for work, he was still unaware of anything different in the bedroom. I felt a bit disappointed. Later on, I asked one of my sons whether he had noticed anything new in the bedroom. He said, “Yes, the curtains are new.” My son then proceeded to tell me to “chill out” after I mentioned to him that Dad hadn’t seemed to notice them. That evening my son evidently let the cat out of the bag because, when my husband walked into the bedroom this time, he looked right up at the curtains and exclaimed, “I didn’t know you were such a Suzy Homemaker!” This project was special to me because the Lord and I did it together.

Isn’t that how God wants to work in our lives always? Dear Lord, may I trust in Your leading and prompting and put Your ideas to work.

Even when others don’t notice, may the knowledge of having followed what You revealed be all the approval I really need. Amen.

Rosemarie Clardy