Good Job, Holy Spirit!

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by:  Staci Stallings

For a mom of three kids, one of the most challenging things is keeping up with all the “extras.”  I don’t even mean like drum lessons and gymnastics.  I’m talking about the “little assignments” from school–those off-the-beaten-track things that you don’t see coming and can’t plan for a month in advance.

For example, the other day my son said, “Mom, I need jeans for swimming on Wednesday.”

Now first of all, I know you’re thinking, “Why would he need JEANS for swimming?”

Second of all, you’re wondering why this sent me into so much panic.

Right?

Well, let me explain.

One day a year from 3rd through 5th in swimming (once a week on Wednesdays, through the school), they study how to make clothing into flotation devices.  (I don’t know how, so don’t ask me.   Older daughter did the same thing, so I fully understood the need.

So why the panic?  Ah.

For that answer, you have to know my son.  I don’t know why.  I really don’t, but the kid does NOT like jeans.  He hasn’t ever since he was little.  He simply won’t wear the things.  At first I thought I would eventually talk him into it.  Nope.  Not gonna happen.  So about 4 years ago, I gave up and I quit buying them for him altogether.

What does he wear, you ask?  Khakis for anything nice, a suit if called for (and he likes that, go figure!), sweatpants, and shorts (but NOT jean shorts!) and never, ever for any reason jeans!

So this kid literally does not have a pair of jeans in his possession.  For a nine-year-old boy, that’s weird, I’ll grant you, but it’s the truth.

Well, I meant to go get him some jeans for swimming.  I really did.

But one day was spent getting ready for a meeting and then next was spent on taxes and drum lessons.  So all of a sudden, it was Tuesday night and Mom (that would be me) hadn’t given it another thought.

Long about 7:30 as he was getting his things ready for the next day (I’m telling you, I have weird kids!), he comes in.  “Mom, I need jeans for tomorrow.”

Oh, no!  Great! Now what?!

Well, he didn’t have jeans in his closet so there was no reason to even go look.  What were we going to do?

I asked if they had to be his jeans and older sister confirmed, you needed to be able to wear what you brought.  Grrrr.  That took out the possibility of using Dad’s jeans.

What were we going to do?  Stores were closed, so that was out.  Only close-in-age cousins live 45 miles away.  That was out.  Hmm….

Then all of a sudden, I knew.  I said, “You are not going to believe how smart the Holy Spirit is.”  He was like, “What?”

I took his hand, and we marched through the house, up the stairs, through the upstairs and into the attic.  He thought I’d lost my mind.

In the attic he said, “MOM, what are you doing?”

I said, “Six years ago, the Holy Spirit knew we were going to need jeans tonight, so He sent them so we’d have them.”

You see, six years ago a man my husband only knew in passing and who knew we had a small son gave us a box of clothes.  Why?  I don’t know.  We literally never saw the guy again.

But I had marked the box with my son’s name and 10-14 (the size of the clothes) and put it in the attic.

About 2 months ago, I saw that box and thought, “I should just give that away.  He’s never going to wear those things.” HA!  So funny how the Holy Spirit puts things together!

So I got the box down, and I said, “Let’s see just how smart the Holy Spirit is.”  I opened the box.  There, on the very top, lay a pair of very nice jeans.

I shook my head and said, “Wow.  Go Holy Spirit.  You are SO good.”

I pulled the jeans out and held them up to my son.  If I’d have been at the store, I couldn’t have done any better.  So I told him to go try them on.

You guessed it.  They fit like they were made for him.

What else can you said when the Holy Spirit comes through that perfectly?!  “Good job, Holy Spirit!”

He’s so cool!