Correct Change

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. --Philippians 4:6 (NIV)

The vending machine accepted five-dollar bills, so I fed a crisp Lincoln into the slot, and pressed the button corresponding with the caffeinated beverage of choice. The change descended loudly. Clunk, clink, clink, clink, clink, clink.

Quickly applying some mental math, I calculated that the vending machine had returned only $1.50 in change. Plunging my fingers into the coin return cup, I planned to voice a complaint to the front desk as soon as I retrieved those 6 quarters.

I looked down at the coins in my palm: three Susan B. Anthony dollars, and three quarters. My anger was replaced by embarrassment. The change I received wasn’t what I anticipated, but it was correct.

God's answers to our prayers rarely look like what we think they should. Nonetheless, they are exactly what we need, given to us in the perfect amount.

Reflecting Pool:

When has God answered your prayers in a way you didn’t expect?