I lost my keys today.

Well, that’s not true. I lost the thing that automatically unlocks my car doors and in my mind, that is worse than losing the car key. Now that it’s gone, I think of it fondly. (Previously, I never thought of it. It was a constant in my life, like sunrise in the morning and a dirty sink in my kitchen.) Now that it’s gone, I’ve nicknamed it The Magic Button. I miss it already.

The car key is necessary to start and drive the car, sure. But that Magic Button, that automatic door opener, well, it’s Key to my Happiness and Ease in this World.

Think I’m overstating it? Just a bit? Consider this. What (previously) allowed me to unlock the doors so my kids could fight over the front seat while I chatted with friends in the school parking lot? My Magic Button.

What (in the past) allowed me to unlock the van while I ran like a lunatic through the Walmart parking lot because I was going to be late for library duty at school? Magic Button, that’s what.

It got me thinking about the Magic Button and what a miracle it is that it even exists. When I was little, we didn’t even lock our car doors. After the introduction of carjacking, we lost our innocence. We started to lock our car doors even while driving. The act of manually pushing down a little knob was just too arduous, so automatic locks were invented. Instead of pushing a knob on our door, we pushed a little button instead. It was swell to hear the satisfying “click” resonate throughout the car.

I caught myself getting just a teensy-eensy bit angry that the Magic Button was mysteriously gone and that my life would be, from this day forward, So. Much. Harder.

I’m being ridiculous, I know. You see, we come to expect, and then depend on, the little things that make our life easier. The dishwasher to wash the dishes. The dryer to dry the clothes. The other dryer to dry the hair. All our magic bells and whistles.

Could it be that we depend on things more than we depend on people? And could it be that we depend both on things and people more than we depend on God? Think about it. If it's true, how do we reconcile these dependencies with our faith?

The Bible says “He will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory.”

I prayed to find Magic Button and it didn’t appear. Does that mean that I don’t need it? (Because I certainly wanted it. And God is certainly capable of delivering.)

I’m starting to realize that hearing God supplies all our needs and believing that it's true are two different events. He’ll supply all my needs, and furthermore, He’ll determine what I actually need, which is vastly different from what I want.

What I needed today, perhaps, was a time to reflect. You don't need a Magic Button for that. Hmm. Interesting. I'm still thinking about it. Who -- or what--- do I depend on to get through each day with ease and peace?
What is truly my Key to Happiness? I'll think about that every time I open my car doors....with the key!