Appointment with the embassy

God works in mysterious, sometimes funny ways to teach us to rely on Him.

I was scheduled for an interview for my visa application at the Netherlands Embassy at 8 am today. I woke up at 5 am to finish stuff for school, took a quick shower at 6 am, and put on my favorite blue striped long sleeves and black slacks. I wanted to beat the early morning rush in Makati.

Just as I buckled my belt and zipped my pants, something below felt wrong. The zipper was stuck in the middle, and it was immovable as a malignant tumor upon palpation. With full force, I tried moving it until it gave way. That led to an even greater problem: the zipper was officially damaged. 

It was the only slacks I had in my apartment. "What now?" I asked myself. "Why is everything going wrong, Lord?" 

Then I had an idea: put on a necktie long enough so that my . . . perineal area would be covered if I slouched. It worked.

That incident reminded me of God's sovereignty in all things, even in the minutest details. My appointment with the Embassy went well—praise God—and now my problem is to find myself another pair of slacks, this time with a more resilient zipper. But if you happen to see me slouching with my necktie on, I think you already know why.