(A Guest Post by Amonda Isgrigg)

After heating a casserole in the microwave for 10 minutes, there were still ice crystals left throughout most of the dish. It was time for the faithful church microwave to find a nice microwave retirement village where it could reminisce upon it’s glory days of when it saved Thanksgiving potluck by cooking the dressing and preventing a salmonella plague and other countless potluck emergencies.

In the meantime, the funds for kitchen renovations at church were slim and my husband made an offhand request as I sailed out the door to scour for treasures at a neighborhood garage sale. “If you happen to find a microwave…”

A week later, after a disappointing trip to a neighborhood sale, I determined to hit a few random sales on the way home. One such sale was being held in an isolated neighborhood, well off the beaten path of most everyone, save the woman who is trying to kill time to prolong the nap of an active toddler who has fallen asleep on the drive home.

I pulled up to the sale, parked under in shaded lane, no other traffic was vying for the best space. I didn’t have high hopes for finding anything that I was particularly wanting. A box of Veggie Tale valentines caught my eye, this alone made the stop worth it; my 3 year old would call me a hero. I casually made note of the prices of the items, my interest not great enough to pay the asking price of many of the items, being overpriced in my opinion. As I turned for the final survey, a microwave caught my eye. I asked about the price, $5.  I asked for the reason why a nice, stainless steel microwave would be on a yard sale. The reason; the new house had a built in microwave, and this one had been sitting unused for a year. My one burning question was, “Did it heat as it should?” After an agonizing minute waiting for the microwave to perform it’s function, and a slightly scalded finger to test the water temperature, yes, the microwave does heat!

God cares about the big things in our lives, and he also cares about the small things. Finding a nice modern-looking, fully functioning microwave for only $5? I am not forgotten. God knows my name and needs. God knows the church’s needs. We are not forgotten; God knows our names and needs. Step off the beaten path and take a chance.