That Time God Gave Me An Iphone

The Story

Whilst preparing for my year abroad I was thinking a lot about communication. I have a lovely young man-friend who I wanted to be committed to even if I was in a completely different country and I was pretty convinced that a relationship wouldn't grow without communication. I figured the best way to do it was to invest in a smartphone so that I could at least use wifi etc. to email him regularly (like a text message) and skype-phone when necessary. I was also keen to invest in my blog a bit more and make easier for myself to post blogs on the go. Smartphones are so great because I can take a photo, edit it, post it onto my blog, write some words and VOILA blogpost completed! I told myself that I would put aside some of wages for Summer work and put it towards an iphone 3GS off Ebay. So far so good.

Here comes the dilemma. I got home to find out that I didn't have any Summer work. Nothing, nada. I hurriedly sent out 30 job applications and prayed and prayed and prayed that I would get one. Still nothing. As I sat in church one Sunday evening I started to get really envious of all the people who had iphones and Smartphones, thinking that it was so unfair that they had all these cool gadgets when I was the one with a blog and when I really needed one to keep my relationship going (or so I thought!) God really challenged me on my attitude and I realised that lusting after technology was just going to make me miserable. I was turning it into an idol. Furthermore, I needed to remember that he is totally got my relationship covered and he would provide a means of communication. I decided that I didn't want an iphone unless God was going to provide it. I was going to stop dreaming and scheming and get on with the rest of my life.

TWO MONTHS LATER I am offered 3 days of work. Amazing. I started thanking God thinking that this money would be able to go towards my new phone. But there were more important things to buy, like sensible shoes and adaptor plugs and work clothes. I was leaving in two weeks and I still had no phone plan for my year abroad. Once again I gave it all up to God and just TRUSTED and got on with things.

ONE WEEK LATER. I meet up with my girl Tabitha. She hadn't been around all Summer and I missed her cos she's my not-so-little sister (in Christ) and we tend to be on the same page MOST DAYS. So we decide to meet in Santa Fe, I'm all excited sipping my iced-latte and looking forward to catching up on her recent travelling adventures. She walks into the cafe, strides up to me and hands me a blue paper bag saying 'I got you a present'. My initial reaction was to feel guilty that I hadn't got her a present but I took the bag feeling a little stunned and emotional and start removing all the pretty blue tissue paper.

AND...

right at the bottom...

was an iphone.

What a father God is to me!? I know, I know God gives me massive things everyday, he gives me friends, family, oxygen, water, food etc. etc. But this little Iphone gift was more than just a crazy gadget, it was a reminder that he is not just faithful in the big things, but also in the small frivolous things as well. It's something that I'll use everyday and hold in my hand and remember that God is so creative and fun and good to me.