Finding Favor

Nora and I have this routine where, whenever we find a good parking space, we yell “FAVOR!” (And by “we” I mean “me”, because she has no idea what is going on).

But to be honest, last week felt anything but favor-ful. My homecoming weekend started out with a car that died on the way to work, not to mention on the busiest day of my year. It then continued on with a husband who had an allergic reaction to something and had hives all over his body and then concluded with a laptop that just stopped working for no apparent reason, with all of our immigration documents and work information stored on the desktop. These are just some of the highlights, but there have been so many other little moments as well where I just felt incredibly overwhelmed, discouraged, and defeated. It’s just been one of those weeks.

And as I was driving to daycare pick-up the other day, bemoaning my circumstances and feeling defeated, I was reminded of a quote, one that I have repeated to others many times.

“The enemy always doubles its efforts, right when a breakthrough is around the corner.”

Its a reminder that hardships aren’t a sign of God’s absence, but rather, a reminder that favor is coming.

Keep pressing on. Keep clinging to truth. Keep moving forward. Keep acting in faith. Keep going.

And as I was reminded of this quote, I turned the corner at daycare pickup and realized that there wasn’t a single car in the parking lot.

Favor indeed.

I’m finding more and more that sometimes that’s what God’s favor is like. It’s simple and subtle and often finds us in unexpected places. A friend recently reminded me that our God is a God of details, even the small ones. I dream big, pray big, and expect big, but in doing so, I often forget that God is also in the small.

If you find yourself trudging through your days, waiting for favor, I encourage you to look for God in the details and to cling to the hope that a breakthrough is coming.