One day last year, as I was removing a pan from my oven with a kitchen towel, my fingers touched the oven’s very hot insides. Quickly pulling my hand out, I immediately turned to God in prayer. The pain stopped quickly, but there was extensive blistering and other evidence of a burn on one of my fingers. Still, it didn’t hinder any of my activities, and I felt peacefully sure of God’s care for me. 

The next day I was volunteering at my local food bank, where, in keeping with pandemic regulations, I had to wear skintight disposable silicone gloves to handle the food. After working all morning, I felt a strong burning sensation in the blistered finger. Taking off the glove, I saw that there had been further damage to the skin.

At lunch I took time out to sit in my car and pray. I reaffirmed God’s allness and my wholeness as His reflection. I knew that nothing could ever alter those facts, including this incident. Expecting full, quick healing, I decided that I wasn’t going to look at my hand again but would trust God to govern every aspect of my day. I felt so sure of God’s good government that I wasn’t tempted to look at my hand that afternoon while completing other food bank tasks that didn’t require gloves.