Can God Really Help You?A Plastic Carrier Bag
A couple of years ago there was a huge obsession with the environment and the effect that production and waste of plastic carrier bags has on it. This seems to have died a death recently; the credit crunch and recession seem to have relegated care for the environment to a lower place in our thoughts. Many shops seem to have forgotten all about the issue. My local Morrison’s store made a half hearted attempt to restrict the number of free bags that you were allowed to a maximum of two, but this seems long forgotten.
However, one store that has maintained the courage of their convictions is Marks and Spencer. They charge five pence for every carrier bag that they provide. They donate this money to charity, but for some reason it annoys me when I have to pay it. It’s a bit silly really because Marks and Spencer is not exactly cheap and five pence for a carrier bag hardly seems an issue, but as I said, I do resent paying it. I suppose it is because I feel under condemnation for not caring enough for the environment by remembering to bring a bag with me. The problem is that I don’t think ahead enough and usually find myself dashing into the shop on my way home when I realise that I haven’t got anything for tea or no bread for breakfast. Inevitably I don’t have a bag with me.
Anyway, one day I was at home and decided to go to Mark’s for some food. Thinking ahead I reached for the carrier bags to take with me. Immediately the Holy Spirit said to me ‘Take an extra one, there will be someone that you can give it to’. So, being the obedient woman I am, I grabbed an extra bag!
I duly did my shopping and after I had packed it and paid for it, I suddenly realised that I had this extra bag. I turned round and directly behind me at the checkout was a friend from church. I asked her if she had a carrier bag, to which she replied ‘Oh no, I haven’t’. I gave her my spare bag, she smiled and off I went.
Now, I didn’t actually say to her ‘God told me to bring an extra bag’, but I know that God sent that bag for her. God knew that this Christian lady would be in Marks and Spencer without a carrier bag and he sent one through me.
This made me realise how much God cares for us and how many times he must look after us, protect us and take care of our needs without us even realising it. So often we only go to God with the big issues, but he cares about all our issues. I have never gotten around to telling my friend about the bag, but it impacted deeply on me. I really felt that God was showing me how he is working in our lives all the time. If he goes to the trouble to send someone a spare carrier bag, then how many other things is he doing in our lives.
“What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:31-32
The above scripture pretty much sums things up. God was willing to sacrifice his only son, so why would he withhold anything from us, including a plastic carrier bag. Yes, I know it does seem a bit silly to be writing about a plastic carrier bag, but it gave me insight into God’s character. He’s a good, loving God. He cares about every small detail of our lives. However, this incident showed me something else. If I can learn to trust him in all the small details of my life, then trusting him with the big issues will follow automatically.
Walking daily with God means learning to trust him on everything, the small things and the big things. Nothing is too small for God to care about and nothing is too big for him to deal with.
