My Precious

Weird things happen to me. Coincidences? I don't think so. I truly believe that God cares for us. Even the minutia of everyday life. Here is a simple, commonplace example:
I have this hat I just finished. A fair-isle tam from the Interweave Holiday Gifts 2007 issue. I love this hat. The wool is from Knitpicks, fingering weight, palette. Multi-colored with pink as the primary color. I only paid $35 for 11 skeins. I was delighted when the box showed up and I cast on immediately. The 1st part was difficult. I had to do ribbing in 2 colors. This is my 1st fair isle project, so figuring out where the yarn and fingers went was challenging. Within a couple of hours I had figured it out. I was in love. A new technique that was fun to boot!

I finished the hat and it has been squired around for lots of outings. So many compliments and I even like the way it looks on me. The girls are each begging for one of their very own. I have lots of yardage so this isn't going to be a problem.

Ukrops Friday. Weekly grocery shopping run. Wore Tam to the store and upon entering my car, post shopping and after strapping in the chitin's, took Tam off because I was a little warm. I came home, and that is the last memory I have of Tam.

Skip forward to Saturday. I want to wear Tam. Gone. Lost. Just like Gollum's precious ring. I had lost my precious Tam and I was in a foul mood because of it. I just knew it was my kids fault because they are always distracting me, asking me for x,y, and z. And in general talking my fool ear off and I can't even hear myself think much less finish a task, put something away , or whatever. In general, I was acting like a prime donkey, aka, ass.

I am pouting in the bathtub and think that maybe I should pray about the Tam. After all, God knows where Tam is and I truly believe that God cares.... bout me, not the tam. So, I pray. Then proceed to rip the house apart. Den? nope. Under anything? nope. Bedroom? nope. Kids bedrooms? nope. Basement? nope. Trash? nope. In the clean laundry pile? nope. Dirty laundry pile? nope. Then drive to Ukrops and check lost and found? nope. Go to bed. No Tam.

Sunday. I want to wear Tam to church. I again rip the house apart this time with the lost and found king, Andy. Andy will find it, he finds everything. No Tam. Not under my bed. Not in any laundry basket. Not in any closet. Again, ask God to tell me where Tam is. I am wondering if THIS will be the time that God doesn't answer me. Maybe all my big talk bout how God cares and is infinitely communicative...... well, you know what I thought. So, I start thinking that God has other plans for me and Tam. Like, how not to act like an ass to darling family over a hat for crying out loud. Don't I have what's really important, like the emotional well-being of my children for example, at the forefront of my mind?

I take a shower and start to pray and tell God that I am at least willing to face my attitude towards my precious and face up to the fact that Tam is lost. "I am sorry God. I am blaming my kids for my own carelessness. I am willing to let Tam go if you will help me." And He does.

Sunday night. Tired, in bathtub again. Get out quick because someone is dropping in on us. I streak to bedroom...... There is Tam in the middle of the floor. Right beside the bed. Not even on the far side of the bed. Right there. In plain sight. Not under anything. Nothing. Right there.....plain sight. Folks, it was NOT THERE YESTERDAY, TODAY OR EVEN 5 MINUTES AGO!

So...... pay attention. God is waiting to talk to us. Ask, seek, knock and then wait. Pay attention. You never know how He will speak.