Deacon Jude Tam Tran

OH! NEVER MIND, GOD

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” — (Matthew 6:26)
“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:6)

It was Valentine’s Day, the one day on the calendar when love is supposed to feel extra special—and for one man, that meant doing something meaningful for his wife. He didn’t want to show up empty-handed. No, this was the day for a thoughtful gift, maybe a piece of jewelry, a bottle of her favorite perfume, or at the very least, a big, beautiful bouquet of flowers. So, like thousands of other determined husbands, boyfriends, and last-minute romantics, he headed straight to the mall.

What he hadn’t fully considered was that the rest of the city had exactly the same idea.

The mall parking lot looked like a battlefield of cars. Vehicles crawled around in slow, desperate circles, drivers staring down at each other as if a free parking space were a piece of buried treasure. Frustration hung thick in the air. Horns were honking. People were sighing. Some were giving up and driving away while others were stubbornly committed to their endless loop.

Our guy? He was somewhere in between hopeful and annoyed.

He drove around once. Then twice. Then a third time. Every time he thought he spotted a space, a car would beat him to it or he would realize it was actually taken by a tiny, barely visible compact vehicle tucked into the corner. Minutes turned into half an hour. His loving mission was slowly being replaced by irritation.

“Why did I even wait until today?” he muttered as he turned down yet another full row.

Finally, with his frustration peaking, he did something he should have done a long time ago—he prayed.

“God,” he said, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter, “if You help me find a parking spot close to the entrance, I promise I’ll be more grateful. I’ll be more patient. I’ll even read my Bible more regularly. Just help me this once, please.”

At that very moment, as if on cue, he saw brake lights ahead. A car right near the entrance was backing up. The driver was pulling out.

His eyes widened. Relief rushed through him.

“Oh! Never mind, God,” he called out quickly, a grin spreading across his face. “I found one!”

And he pulled right into the space.

He didn’t think twice about what he had just done. He didn’t think about the timing, or the fact that the very thing he had asked for had happened in the middle of his prayer. Instead, he chalked it up to coincidence. He congratulated himself on his perfect timing and his parking-lot instincts and hurried inside the mall to finish his Valentine’s shopping.

But isn’t that just like us sometimes?

We pray in moments of need. We cry out to God when we feel stuck, overwhelmed, or uncertain. But the moment a solution appears—especially if it comes through something that seems ordinary, like a moving car or a small opportunity—we are quick to take the credit, assume it was luck, or say, “Never mind, God, I’ve got this.”

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says something powerful about God’s role in the little things of life: “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” (Matthew 6:26)

If God cares enough to feed the birds of the air, do we really think He is indifferent about the details of our lives—even something as simple as a parking space on a busy afternoon?

The truth is, God is not only the God of big miracles. He is also the God of everyday moments.

He is present in small victories, quiet solutions, open doors, and even the parking spaces that show up at just the right time.

Another verse gently reminds us: “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:6)

In all your ways. Not just the big decisions. Not only the life-changing moments. But also, in the everyday frustrations, the errands, the schedules, the tight deadlines, and yes, even in busy parking lots.

What the man in the story forgot is something many of us forget too: God doesn’t always work through thunder and lightning. Sometimes He works through the simple movement of a car, a delayed moment, a shift in timing, or a door quietly opening in front of us. The miracle is not always dramatic. Often, it is subtle. But it is still miraculous.

We laugh at the man who cut his prayer short, but haven’t we done the same thing?

We pray for a job, and when a friend calls with an opportunity, we say, “I just got lucky.”

We pray for strength to get through a hard season, and when we do, we forget to thank the One who carried us through. We say, “I guess things just worked out.”

Sometimes we only recognize God’s hand when things are impossible. But when things are possible, practical, and logical, we assume He wasn’t involved. We call it coincidence, timing, or personal effort. Yet behind every breath we take, every step we make, and every path that opens before us, God is still at work.

That doesn’t mean we stop trying. The man still had to drive, look, and keep moving. Faith is not laziness. It is partnership. We do our part, and God does His—even when we don’t see it.

The lesson for our daily life is simple but profound: Stay mindful. Stay grateful. Stay aware.

Don’t wait until life is falling apart to recognize God. Practice recognizing Him in the small, ordinary, everyday moments. Thank Him for the green light that saved you time. Thank Him for the unexpected check in the mail. Thank Him for the encouraging phone call that came right when you needed it.

When we begin to acknowledge God in the little things, our entire perspective changes. Life no longer feels like a series of random events. It becomes a journey guided by a loving Father who is involved in every detail.

So, the next time you’re circling a parking lot, remember this story. If a space suddenly opens up, don’t say, “Never mind, God.” Instead, smile and say, “Thank You, God. I see You.”

Because perhaps the real gift that day wasn’t what the man bought at the mall. The real gift was a reminder that God is listening—even before the prayer is finished.