By Cyndi
As I was finishing up reading the book of Acts, in the last chapter Luke records an interesting thing. He mentions the ship he and Paul rode in was Alexandrian and had the Twin Brothers as its figurehead. How interesting. He didn’t say the name of the ship, only its origin and the adornment on its bowsprit. So I stopped and thought, “Why would Luke, the author of Acts, mention this? And for what reason would God want this in His holy writings?” It seems a bit insignificant.
Then I thought about Luke being a physician, and God being our Father and it came to me: details. Details matter — to both of them. In Luke’s view, as a physician, mixing up pharmaceuticals, performing operations, and having precise knowledge about the body is critical to practicing his profession. He naturally was aware of details. Looking through God’s view, the nuances of Creation and nature, the plethora of diverse plants and animals, and the immeasurable differences within each of us humans, are all determined by details.
Every good story has details, it makes it feel like you’re there. It gives life to boring accounts of “…and then this happened…” so Luke included them for us in his accounts as a good author. (Take notice of this in all his writings, particularly in this last chapter.)
And, of course, God is into details too. Even as He is the Master Creator of vast varieties of flowers and birds, and the immense color variations within a single sunset, He is also into every detail of our lives. In fact, for me, it’s sometimes in these very details that I really sense His love and presence.
Father God knows every little thing I like, every experience I’ve been through, every one of my relationships past and present. So when I cross a bridge and see a sailboat sailing, it reminds me of my father and I feel God’s presence. When I see or taste key lime pie, it reminds me of trips, old and recent, of the Florida Keys and His joy fills my heart. And last week when I walked on the beach and found a nice shark tooth, I smiled as I felt a little kiss from Him. (Papa God knows I love to find shark teeth.) He’s into the details of my life and I’m glad.
And the detail Luke mentions — this figurehead of the Greek gods, Castor and Pollux on the ship? That’s just God telling us through His Word that details matter to Him. They’re important. Details remind us that Father God is an intimate personal God. Can you sense Him in the details of your life?