I know He cares and listens, but for years I limited my prayer requests to healing and victory over sin. Big stuff—until the day my life was forever changed.
It had been a cruel year. I was in poor health and my marriage was in shambles. My parents and my church were both splitting. Having few pleasures to brighten my life, I readily accepted an invitation to spend the day up in the mountains with a friend.
Unfortunately, I had no winter coat and very little money to get one. Hesitantly, I asked the Lord to help me find a coat for less than $50, hoping that He wouldn’t consider my request a trivial one.
Spending the next few days scouring thrift shops and bargain basements, I found nothing. While on a work break at the mall, I passed by a designer outdoor sporting store and felt prompted to go in. Knowing the store’s reputation for exorbitant prices, I almost ignored the prompt. However, pausing at the doorway, I saw racks of fancy coats accompanied by a huge sale sign.
As I picked out the prettiest coat and read the price tag, I was stunned. The tag read, “AS IS—$9.99.” Fearing that the price was too good to be true, I quickly bought the coat. I later discovered that the only thing wrong with it was an ink mark that disappeared after its first washing.
The rest of my day was filled with awe. God does listen. He does care about the little things. Every time I see that coat I’m reminded that I am special, and what matters to me, matters to Him.
American Faith 
