Sliding doors are a popular way to conserve usable floor space. Besides that, the barndoor hardware look is very “in” right now. So everyone will sell them, right? Let’s just say, Sue and I spent two whole days this past week driving around Panama City trying to find that hardware. We hit every specialty door and hardware shop we could find. Then we visited the ones those stores recommended. It’s not that the hardware doesn’t exist in Panama … every store has it displayed … they just don’t sell it anymore. Maybe it’s already on the way “out.”
I had approached this trip with prayer. I truly believe that God takes interest in all our affairs and that He is pleased when we seek Him in all our ways. But mid-afternoon on unsuccessful day two, traffic was starting to make me feel like a demolition derby driver in a flag league. You don’t actually hit the other cars, you just see how close you can get. I was also starting to have self-inflicted whiplash from checking my blind spots. I was feeling discouraged and had resigned myself to not finding what I wanted.
We made one last stop at Casa de Materiales to check for replacement tiles. Yet another strike out on every item we thought they might have. Before heading home, we needed the facilities, so we walked next door to the Discovery Center. Even though I almost have their aisles memorized, we decided to take one last look. All we could find were the ‘high-quality’ door glides that fail under the weight of cardboard doors in mobile homes. We were literally headed out when Sue got all excited … “It’s them … it’s them!” I had so given up, that it didn’t even occur to me that she meant the glides we were looking for … the exact one’s I wanted, the whole kit! I guess that’s why it’s called the DISCOVERY CENTER!
Here’s another thing I keep rediscovering … when you’ve asked for God’s help, don’t give up. Maybe I needed to visit all those stores and then accidently find it where and when I wasn’t looking. All I know is that God doesn’t always answer how or when I’d like Him to, but He does answer. If I can learn it in the small things, there’s a better chance I’ll remember when the real storms come.
I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. Psalm 40:1
