The Jacket

Winter was coming and my daughter needed a jacket. We had always welcomed hand-me-downs, shopped garage sales, and frequented thrift and consignment stores. This particular year she had her heart set on a pink and purple jacket with butterflies and flowers. We had not found one yet that matched her description. Finally I knew we had to find one before the cold weather arrived so we set out on a mission that day.

Before we left we prayed that God would lead us to a pink and purple jacket with flowers and butterflies that fit my daughter and my $15 budget. We had taught our children to pray specific prayers but this year I was worried that would backfire. We went to every secondhand store I knew. At the last store she finally found a solid white fuzzy jacket that fit and she said, "It will do." Immediately I knew she was settling for this jacket since she needed one and we were out of places to look.

We had also taught our children that they don't need to settle for something that isn't the best that God had for them. We used simple things to illustrate this when they were young believing these lessons would help them as they became teens and adults and would need to make bigger choices in life. This was a test! Would I let her settle for a jacket that wasn't what she wanted, what she had asked from God? I knew the answer was no. We put the jacket back and headed home.

On the way we saw another shopping center and I suddenly remembered a friend telling me a new consignment shop was opening there. Miraculously traffic was light and I was quickly able to move over three lanes and pull into the parking lot. Sure enough, the store was open! I parked right in front and turned off the car. I looked back at my children all buckled in their car seats. Here we go Lord! I prayed, "God, please lead us to a pink and purple jacket with flowers and butterflies for under $15." From the back seat I heard her little voice say, "LIGHT purple." Seriously!?!?!? Ok Lord, you heard her too.

I unbuckled everyone and we traipsed into the store. Right at the entrance was a round rack filled with winter jackets. My eyes immediately went to a single sleeve sticking straight out from the left side of the rack. It was light purple!!!! I eagerly pushed the other jackets aside to pull it off the rack. The lavender nylon outer shell had flowers and butterflies embroidered across the front. The jacket was reversible with pink fleece on the other side. She slipped it on with a grin on her face. It was big enough that the sleeves could be folded up to make a cuff revealing the pink fleece at the bottom of the light purple sleeve. It was PERFECT! Then I reached for the tag....$12.99. Thank you Jesus!!!!

My daughter wore that jacket the next year too, with the sleeves uncuffed. I shed a few tears when it finally went in the hand-me-down bag for another little girl. My children went on to pray many more specific prayers and watch God answer them in very tangible ways. We are in a season now of bearing fruit from that early training. And to this day, if we want to remind one of our family not to settle for something that is not God's best, all we have to say is LIGHT PURPLE.