Have you ever gotten dressed in the dark and realized you’d made some…. um, interesting choices?

When I taught in Colorado, I dressed in the light — a very dim light — and I managed to get to school with black slacks and navy shoes. I noticed at 2 or 2:30 in the afternoon — school got out at 3:15. Another day, I got to school wearing navy pants with one black and one navy shoe. I noticed at noon.

Today, I got up, dressed in the bathroom so I wouldn’t wake my husband and realized I forgot to choose my earrings. I knew what pair I wanted and I knew where they hang on my earring rack. I went in the bedroom, grabbed the earrings and my things, headed out the door, got in the car and put my earrings on before I started the engine. I never checked a mirror. I taught all morning and quickly ran to the bathroom after lunch, but I was in hurry and didn’t even check the mirror. After school, I stopped in the bathroom before I left for the day and looked in the mirror. Yes, both earrings are crystals, but one is 1 and 1/2 inches long while the other is 3/4 of an inch long. Oops.

No one said anything — had they done so, I would have removed them both. What’s weird is that my fourth grade students didn’t say anything — and they notice EVERYTHING, especially when something is wrong.

Oh well… lesson learned. Until the next time.

As I think about this, I realize that I am often inattentive to the details in the world around me. Honestly, that’s not that unusual. Many of us miss the details.

God’s capacity for detail is enormous.

I am thankful that even though I miss the details, there is One who never does. There is One who sees all, understands all, and best of all, knows all.

That is an enormous relief to me.

One school of thought says that there are two kinds of thinkers — linear and global. According to SocialMettle.com, linear thinkers see the trees before they see the forest, while global thinkers see the forest before they see the trees. I’m a global thinker — I see the big picture and many of the details are ignored. Not intentionally, mind you, but ignored all the same. There are days when I would love to be a bit more linear in my thought process. I’ve learned to be functionally linear, but I have to work at it. I still miss trees now and then — like this morning.

Yet, God’s capacity for detail is enormous.

God even knows the number of hairs on our heads. (Luke 12:7, Matthew 10:30.)  He counts the stars (!) and He calls them by name. (Psalm 147:4.) In fact, He has engraved each one us — you and me and all of the people that we love and all the people they love, and the ones they love, and on into eternity — on the palm of His hand. (Isaiah 49:16.)  Now THAT is capacity for detail.

On those days when I’m wearing the wrong colored shoes or two different earrings and feeling silly and small or foolish and insignificant, God knows me. God sees me and best of all, He loves me.

My friend, God knows you. He sees you. And yes, He loves you.

On those days when you feel small or unnoticed or even worthless, God knows where you are and He sees you. He feels your pain and cares for you. You may feel alone, but you are not; He is with you. And those details that seem so overwhelming and overpowering? Don’t worry about them. He’s got this and He’s got you.