If You Need to Find God, Check the Furniture Section at Big Lots

We meant to buy our daughter a real bed, but she had a snazzy crib, which converted into a toddler bed, and I know she isn’t exactly a toddler, but five is close to toddler age, kind of, and therefore, the poor girl has been sleeping in the same bed we put her in on the day she came home from the hospital.

I know, I know. I can feel you judging me through the screen. Last week, our girl started sleeping on the floor because she said her bed didn’t fit her. Feel free to continue judging.

Insert serious parent guilt and a quick review of the finances (which are drastically less since I’ve started working part-time), and we quickly decided we could afford a used bed off of Craig’s List and a new mattress. Alas, Craig’s List was bare, and if there isn’t a bed, there really isn’t a need for a mattress. So, we did what all people who are looking for cheap furniture do, we headed to Big Lots.

Let it be known, Big Lots is not my favorite store, especially for furniture, but there we were. We found a new twin bed and a new mattress for a little under $300.00. But, the quality of the bed wasn’t great, and we weren’t thrilled with the mattress, and spending $300.00 on something we didn’t even like seemed ridiculous. So instead of purchasing anything, my husband and I lounged on the cushy coaches and discussed furniture options for our guest room. Since we were pretending, we went all out and decided on the funky colored lounge chair and matching table.

I’m not sure why we didn’t think to ask God about a new bed, probably because a bed seems like such a trivial prayer. However, considering the massive prayers God has been answering for us lately, praying about a bed should have been our first thought.

A couple we know strolled passed us in the store. We chatted for a minute before the husband said, “Hey, we have a twin bed and a new mattress that we aren’t using. Just follow us home and you can have it.”

Of course they do. People we don’t really know happen to have a bed and they happen to be in Big Lots and we happen to need a bed and we happen to be in Big Lots and these people want to give it to us because hey, they aren’t using it.

Now, you’d think when someone gives you a bed something must be wrong with it. The bed must be dirty or broken or gross in some unimaginable way. Not the case. The bed is perfect, the mattress new, and our awe of God renewed yet again.

Has God been surprising you in any big ways lately?