Lost and Found

I found 75 of these great hats at WalMart today for 25 cents each and scooped them up for my Operation Christmas Child boxes.  But as the cashier was ringing them up I reached into my pocket for my wallet and it wasn't there.   She was nice enough to suspend the sale for me so I could go look for it and told me to pick the order up at another register when I returned.

I checked the car--no luck.  I'd just driven from a rummage sale in Girard where I'd been looking for stuffed animals.  While there I'd met Linda Bennett, my OCC prayer coordinator and we'd spent some glorious time praying together in her car.

So I called Linda to see if she could find the wallet in her vehicle but it wasn't there either.  She prayed for me on the phone and promised to continue in prayer.

As I drove back to Girard I took the opportunity to practice praising God in all things.  This trial was so small compared to what others face every day, but all my credit cards and ID were in that wallet and I really did want to find it.  I praised God and prayed and trusted and drove at the speed limit so I wouldn't have a chance of getting pulled over and not having my license (well, that last part is ALMOST true).  My gas gauge signaled I was near empty and I wondered what I'd do if I didn't find my wallet and didn't have gas to get back home.

When I got to the rummage sale I walked up to the woman at the bake sale and blurted out, "I lost my wallet."   She smiled and said, "We have it!  Someone found it in the parking lot,"  then came around the table and said, "Let me give you a hug--I'll bet you need it."

She led me into the gymnasium and called for another woman who brought my wallet.  Soon four women surrounded me and told the story of the honest person who brought in the wallet and never left their name.  "They were very protective of it," one lady said, "and didn't even know if they should leave it with us."
All my money was still in it--not that I really cared.

I told the women that I and my praying friend had been praying for the wallet since I'd found it missing and let them know I was praising God for its recovery.  "And," I told them, "I'm praying a special blessing on the honest person God used to return it."

So I drove back to WalMart to buy those hats--praising God all the way.  I told the story of God's goodness to the cashiers at WalMart and rejoiced again over His care for me.

And I think that if I can get this excited about finding a wallet, how much more must God dance with joy when lost children around the world come home to Jesus because they learn of His love in a simple gift-filled Operation Christmas Child shoebox.

Being found is everything.