(derived from Hebrews 11:11)
It was Saturday. It was finally beautiful out. I awakened in my Mom's house because we had gone to see Rent at the Exit 7 Players Theater on Friday evening. (It was amazing!). After a week of rain, the weather was cool and felt like fall again. I had pulled out my back the night before so I felt a little grumpy, and I didn't have my sunglasses which didn't help the migraine starting to brew in my brain.
So, we set out for a fall adventure day and made some pit stops to remedy the grumpiness. A pumpkin spice cappuccino (thank you Cumberland Farms) and some Dollar Tree sunglasses paired with Aleve made my body feel comfortable once again. We drove through Hadley and stopped at Swarovski Farm in Sunderland where I purchased brussel sprouts, kale, onions, and acorn squash for $5 total. Oh, how I love farm stands!
We then circled around into Hatfield to take our 2nd annual fall visit to the Pioneer Valley Vineyard for their free wine tastings. They bottled their Blackberry wine in big bottles this year and had a new Golden Raspberry wine and a smooth Frontenac. It was there, when I went to pay that I realized my wallet was missing.
I wish this were the part of the story where I calmly had faith that God is in control. Where I retraced my steps and knew somewhere deep in my heart that it would all be OK. I wish...except wishing doesn't make it so. This is actually where, after weeks of clinging to God, sharing wisdom, talking to my girls about His faithfulness, that I lost my ever-loving mind. I cried. I even yelled. I explained to my mother over and over the process of identity theft that was going to ruin life as I knew it.
This is the part of the story where my Mom let me do these things, and then calmly repeated that everything would be OK. I, of course, in all my faithfulness, told her this was not the case. That the world was a mess, and people stole things, and who knows what else. She calmly repeated the fact that there were honest people in the world, didn't I know.
As we retraced our steps and went back to each store, walking along parking lots, the real truth came out. This must be it, I thought. After weeks of things being OK with Jesus, here was the spiritual attack I had been waiting for. The shoe was dropping.I know I had already been fighting physical pain, but this was the proverbial straw that was going to break this camel's back.
We had no luck. We headed back to Belchertown and I began looking up my credit card companies information on my phone. The phone wouldn't show me the number so with a loud noise of exasperation I went up to use her computer. Now, this isn't even my own home, but there was a message light blinking on the answering machine so I hit play for a distraction. And there it is....a message for me, at a place I don't even live, from AAA telling me someone called and had found my wallet in a parking lot and it was at Peter's Nails in Hadley. My dad always buys me my AAA membership each year because I forget to so my contact info is at their house!
I began laughing and crying at the same time. For a long time.
My mother just looked at me and said, "You see, o ye of little faith."
Yep. Just when we think we've got it down...we up and fail the test.
I am so glad God is faithful. Even when I'm not.
God,
Please bless the sweet person who found my wallet and went through all the trouble of figuring out how to get it back to me. May they have days filled with unspeakable joy. Thank you for a mom who loves you and exemplifies grace under pressure. Who loves me even in my crazy. Thank you for you. May I have more faith today than yesterday.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen.
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