So firstly, I’d like to say thanks
@GaryA for the thought behind this thread. It doesn’t look like it’s taken off like I think you must have hoped, but I came across it this morning and one of the stories really spoke to me, so thank you.
Just now I was reminded of a story of my own, and in appreciation, I thought I’d contribute it. It's not something you'll find on the internet until I post it, but hopefully it will meet someone like I was met this morning (several time zones ahead of most of you, so good mornin’ to y’all
)
Once upon a time I was taking care of some admin and it required my identification. The closest thing at hand was my driver’s license, so I pulled it out, did what I needed to do and placed it back in my wallet – or so I thought. I continued on my errands, which took me to two different grocery stores and merrily headed home.
Several hours later I was going through my bag; when I looked through my wallet, to my surprise, my driver’s license was no longer there! I calmly searched through my bag, and no… it wasn’t there either. Tempted to panic, I decided instead to keep my composure and search my car before spinning into a panic. (I don’t know what it’s like losing official documents over there in the States, but let me tell you, it’s a process you never want to have to go through here in Africa!)
Still nothing. Trying to maintain a level head before giving into that hopeless panic one feels in a situation like that, I knew the only thing to do was to re-trace my steps and inquire at all the shops I visited that morning. Lucky for me, it was a small country town, so chances of something like that being picked up and handed in are pretty high. I proceeded from one store to another and still nothing… Still, I had not given up hope. I knew the Lord would help me find it, and had been praying He would the entire time. This is what kept me from giving in to the panic.
So, the next day, the search continued. I repeated the re-trace of steps in the hope that maybe someone would have found it and handed it in. Still nothing.
I’m sure many of you will be able identify with how, when you lose something important, there’s a compulsive reaction of checking the place where it SHOULD be over and over again
even though you
know it’s not there! I must have opened and closed my wallet
a hundred times a day after I realized my license was missing.
Three weeks went by of hunting high and low – and opening and closing my wallet probably a thousand times by now – and frequenting those same grocery stores when I finally had to admit defeat. I decided I would take the 120km trip to the Government Offices and get it replaced the following week.
That particular day when I made the decision, I was standing in the queue in that very same Grocery Store that I was pretty convinced I had lost my driver’s license. It was hot and I was at the back of a long queue. (what can I say? No aircon!) To kill some time, I remembered that my Pastor sent a video clip to each of us in the congregation and I hadn’t watch it yet. That Sunday he had preached on how God sometimes uses angels to meet our needs in unexpected ways. The clip was of a surveillance camera somewhere in the world of a guy on a motorbike who was about to be hit by a truck. Miraculously, he was found on the other side of the truck totally unscathed. When they slowed down the surveillance camera, they saw this “mysterious being” suddenly appear and transport the gentleman to the other side of the truck in an instant. In the footage, you see the angel casually walking way with his hands aglow from the action that had just taken place. Really inspiring clip.
By this time I was nearly at the front when I felt this warm presence touch me on my thigh! I caught such a fright that I immediately turned around to see who would be obnoxious enough to put their hand where it did not belong! Strange - no one was there, not even close. But the presence was tangible. A little shaken, I checked my bag and then mindlessly and compulsively pulled out my wallet to check for the thousand and
first time for a license that wasn’t there.
GUESS WHAT?! When I opened my wallet, right there where I always kept it, my gold disk had miraculously appeared!! Think what you will, but that day an angel brushed past me and placed my driver’s license back into my wallet.
.............
I don’t use that particular wallet anymore, but I came across it a little earlier and recalled this incident. It changed my life that day to know just how much God cares about even the seemingly insignificant details of our lives – that He would save me the full day of sweaty queues (and lots of stress) by lovingly sending an angel to restore my license to me as a testimony of His goodness.
Maybe you’re in a place like me, feeling hopeless and despondent, wondering if God even knows your name, let alone your location. Let me encourage you as I was encouraged today and say He knows even the hairs on your head, and He will take care of every detail of your life. Just wait and trust and He will meet you. In the right time.
If I were to give this story a title today, I would call it EBENEZER as a reminder to each one of us, and say THUS FAR the Lord has helped us.
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