He cares about all of it.

Have you ever received a friendly reminder that God is listening and knows your heart?

Mark and I went to a cookout at a friend’s house over Labor Day weekend. At around 9:30 p.m., the city had a fireworks show you could see from the front yard of his friend’s house. Most of the party attendees and their kids piled on the front lawn in their chairs and blankets to see the show, Mark and I included.

We only caught half of our city’s 4th of July fireworks display this year, so I was excited for the opportunity to catch another show so late in the summer. I may have been more excited about the fireworks than some of the kids.

Except for maybe one of them. Each time a new firework exploded, a little girl a few chairs away who was about 2.5 years old shouted the names of each color she saw with delight. Green! Purple!! Yellow!!! It was A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E. Throughout the show, she flittered around the yard to sit on the laps of what I can only assume to be various friends and members of her family.

At one point, I remember wishing to myself that she would come sit by me.

I even scolded myself after. What a silly thought! This little girl has never met me. It is dark out. Even if she did try to sit by me, her parents would probably never allow her to sit on a stranger’s lap. All they know about me is that we have the party host as mutual friends.

I barely finished chastising myself for having such an unrealistic hope, and the little girl is standing in front of me waving her hands, asking me to pick her up so she can sit on my lap.

Without giving it a second thought, I happily scooped her up onto my lap and we chatted about each of the fireworks. Her parents did question who I was, but the party host assured them I was ok. (In hindsight, I probably should’ve asked them before picking her up.) She sat on my lap for a total of 2 minutes before scurrying off to the next person, but I can assure you, it made my night.

As we got in the car to go home after the fireworks show, I couldn’t help but feel like God was using this little girl to tell me He knows what’s on my heart. Every little thing. From passing thoughts like this, to the prayers that come from the depths of my soul. He cares about all of it. Even the things I think are insignificant or silly or unrealistic.

Have you ever received a friendly reminder that God is listening and knows your heart?