The Pearl Jean Jacket

I was having a hard day.  

For those of you who don’t know, I went to film school to study acting for the screen and have been part of a few productions here and there. On this particular day, I was working as a stand-in for the star of a health commercial that was filming in Colorado. The pay was great and I had a blast on day one. I’d even made friends with the makeup team and had a few costars who talked about bringing me on new projects. Score! I was confident day two would be even better. 

It was not.  

It was far worse. 

The Assistant Director of the commercial seemed to make it her personal mission to make it known that while I was the stand-in for the commercial, she felt I was unqualified and not doing my job. She yelled at me in front of the entire set and made me feel about as tall as a grain of sand. Not a good interaction to have on a SAG commercial. By the end of the day, I left in tears, weeping on the phone to my mom about how embarrassed I was and feeling so put down. My confidence was shot.  

Off a prompting from God, I decided to hit up one of my favorite stores in the Denver area called Altar’d State before heading home to the Springs. They are a Christ centered brand with excellent taste in clothes, accessories, and household stuff. Alone with my suitcase full of stuff from set, I wandered into the shop and laid eyes on what I knew God wanted me to find: a black, pearl jean jacket.  

I’d been looking for one for a while. My mom had helped me by searching through Ross stores and T.J. Maxx but we’d had no luck. My desire for the jacket was strong but my hope was small. Mustard sized, even.  

And then it was right there. Even better? There was only one, and it was on the sale rack. I didn’t even have to check to know it was my size.  

Hope stirred in my chest. Here was a small reminder that God saw me and had plans in store for me that I never saw coming. And he does for you, too. 

Clutching my treasure, I took it to the register and shared with the cashier, who happened to be a manager I later found out, how I’d had such a tough day but this was an answered prayer from God. When I went to insert my credit card, she told me that the jacket was on the house. She wanted me to have it after sharing my story.  

Telling you I was moved is an understatement. 

I don’t write this to tell you how fabulous I was at storytelling to get a jacket for free or make you feel bad for me because someone treated me like literal trash on set. I write this to remind you that God is a big god, but he is also in the details. He sees the desires of our hearts and how we are sometimes wounded by other broken people trying to do their best. He also moves in the hearts of others, like the fellow believer at Altar’d State, who let me know that I wasn’t alone in my sorrow and celebration. That I have a community that is Heaven backed, and something as seemingly insignificant as a jean jacket can actually represent God’s love for his children.  

The jacket being there, in my size, in the sale section where I always scope out deals, was a Divine Appointment. I know that meeting the manager at the store was a Divine Appointment. My day on set that day was a Divine Appointment (though being treated so horribly was not-that was the result of a broken person being broken).  

I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on the jacket when I’ve worn it. And when I share the story that goes with it, people soften. I know that is the work of God, not me, and I’m just grateful to be on the ride as God uses us to change hearts and encourage others.  

So, if you’re looking for your pearl jean jacket today, take heart. God is in the details. He’s in the working and sees the desires of your heart. Cry out to him. He is there to catch you. You’ll be wrapped in that jacket soon, or an even better one you never expected. He’s in the details, friends.  

He is in you who believe.  

With love,  

Shannon M