Granted, it is just a big ol' blue high chair. But it is a piece of our life that has seen many a fun moment. It's in the baby pictures of the kiddos covered in spaghetti. It's in the birthday pictures of them eating cake and celebrating their big day. It held them many an evening when we ate dinner together as a family. And most importantly, it is a simple reminder to me that God always provides.
Back when Abby was about 4 months old, we were living in West Haven and living on a strict budget. Jason and I were in the throes of the Dave Ramsey Debt Snowball while we each were working full-time and learning how to be parents for the first time. When Abby was ready to start eating some solid foods, we realized we didn't have a high chair. And we didn't have the money for one. A very nice coworker of mine gave us an old high chair that she had. Free, but old. And it didn't have straps on it or the middle leg divider (what do you call that thing that goes between the legs and keeps them in place?). Anywhoo...first time in the high chair Abby almost slid out of it in 2 minutes flat. One minute she's sitting there checking out her new digs, and the next minute her head has disappeared! She had slid all the way down to where her head was where her butt should have been. A minor freak out. So it was free, but no good. I remember Jason and I talking aboout it and not really knowing where the extra money was going to come from. So you say a little prayer under your breath and keep on keepin' on. The very next day, I checked the mail, and we had the most random envelope from Oklahoma that day. When we opened it, there was a check for $75 from our old insurance company. We had moved a year and half earlier, but they had just realized we had an overage on our closed account and sent us a check. It still gives me goosebumps to think about it. We did a happy Jesus dance right there in the kitchen! Time to buy a high chair!
I headed off to Babies R Us to see what $75 could get me. I was still a little freaked about Abby sliding out of the used high chair, so we were going with a new one this time! And easily enough, I found our big blue high chair for $73 and change. Said a little "Hallejuah! Thank you Jesus!" right there in BRU and took it home with us. And it's been with us ever since...other than loaning it out to a friend whose two little boys enjoyed it when mine weren't.
So, cleaning the ol' high chair this week (a little beat up and bruised and missing a few parts), I was reminded of how special we are to Him.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
-Matthew 6:25-34 NIV
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