I felt a gentle nudge from the Lord to visit Lowes, even though I didn’t have a specific shopping list. I had this same feeling on Christmas Eve but I ran out of time. God is never late, but sometimes I am! Trusting in His guidance, I set out, believing that something meaningful might unfold. As I wandered through the houseplants, the chirping of birds inside the store felt like Snow White, adding a whimsical touch to my visit.

Suddenly, I heard three urgent requests for assistance in the paint section. The last call sounded particularly impatient, almost as if it was meant for me. Feeling a divine pull, I headed over, sensing that God was guiding my steps. I realized I needed paint for a decoration project I was working on, “God glasses.” The area was quiet, and no one seemed to need help, but I felt a peaceful assurance that I was in the right place.

While browsing, I found some decorative paint on sale. The color swatches reminded me of picking out ice cream toppings – all good in their own time. I felt nudged to say this out loud, and a man nearby chuckled, asking about my project. It felt like a moment of divine connection. I shared that I had many ongoing projects, trusting that God was leading me through each one. He was trying to paint his office and couldn’t find the last color. He had a pastel blue and charcoal grey and wanted one more color to add some emphasis. I suggested a range of deep bright ocean blues, which he loved. It felt like God was using me to help him find the perfect color. I left to finish getting my own paint.

The cashier mixed my paint. It was Quixotic Plum. She called another woman over who loved purple and was planning to paint her room purple. We chatted about her preference for dark colors to aid sleep, and she showed me her color swatch. It was bright purple, like the color used to package grape candy.

I felt that God was orchestrating these encounters, bringing people together in small but meaningful ways.

Looking back, I realized that this trip to Lowes was more than just shopping. It was about obedience and trusting God’s guidance and joy in expectancy. Things did not need to be some big epiphany. God is in the details. God cares about the details, even if it is just picking out a color of paint. It was simply shopping with God, feeling his presence and instruction, and feeling the confidence in that. And you know what, looking back who knows what could happen from one little act of obedience like that? I don’t know all the ways of God but His ways are amazing!

Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,  neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.

⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth,  so are my ways higher than your ways  so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.