When Jason and I were dating, it was a relatively common occurrence for him to lock his keys in his truck. I remember being dismayed and worried the first time, hovering over him. But by the 5th or 6th, I'd be like, "Ok, well I'm gonna go get a Slurpee while you work this out." He had the art of breaking into his old Ford Ranger down to a science. Wait--an art down to a science? That doesn't really make sense. But he was really good at it.
Sorry--I got distracted. Nate just dipped his matchbox car in my hummus. Delish! I wonder if that's the first time that sentence has ever been written?
Anyway, over the course of our relationship, losing things or locking ourselves out of cars or houses hasn't been exactly rare. We've gotten a lot better at not getting caught in these situations over the years, but every now and then one of us has a real heartstopper.
Like the time about 18 months ago when I left my wallet on a shelf in the toy section of Super Walmart. A Super Walmart chock-a-block FULL of bargain-hungry shoppers. (Some may say this serves me right for doing business at the Evil Empire. They may be right.) I got all the way back to my mom's house before I realized what I'd done. Oh my Lordy Lord, did I freak out. Losing your wallet, license and credit cards right before you are due to return to Australia is not a happy thing, y'all. Mom drove me at breakneck speed back to Wally World and, lo and behold, it was right where I left it. Unbelievable.
Fridays are Jason's day off, and Nate and I met him yesterday at our local shops to have lunch. After lunch, I had to run and get a birthday gift, so he took Nate into the grocery store for a lightning speed shopping trip. Just the essentials. When we met up again, I noticed he'd hung his man bag (yes, man bag) over the handle of the shopping cart. I remember vaguely thinking, He should probably move that, but I got distracted by something and didn't mention it.
Twenty minutes after we get home, Jase gets a call from the Shopping Centre Management. Someone has found his bag and dropped it off at their office. And no, of course we hadn't realized it was missing yet! Don't you know us better than that by now? Of course, it was a relief to know the bag was returned, but here was the clincher. Jason had just pulled a substantial amount of money out of the ATM. Along with some US currency that he'd put in his bag to exchange, there was close to $1000AUD in his bag. Yes, I'm being serious. So we had some big-time stomach pittage going on.
Then we did like we always do when such desperate situations arise. We prayed. Lord, we know you love us whether or not that money is still there, but it would be really lovely if it was! Please? Something along those lines. Jason drove up to the centre and found that every bit of our money was still in the bag. I'm pretty sure that an angelic choir burst into song over Jason's head at that moment.
There are miracles that are seen by everyone, and then there are miracles that are miraculous to you. Moments where you know there was some intervention goin' on. I'll take some of either kind.
I won't even tell you about the time that I lost my wallet in a parking lot of a strip mall, went back the next day praying like a mad woman, and found it turned in at one of the stores. Cause then you'd think I was totally irresponsible. And we wouldn't want that.
This post was partially inspired by Becky finding her husband's wallet after 3 days in a pile of clean laundry. You have any "once was lost but now am found" stories? Do tell!
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ReplyDelete(too many spelling errors...)
ReplyDeleteMy husband is extremely codependent on me for his wallet. Years ago before kids we went on vacation with another couple. By the end of the week the big joke was, "Michele. do you have my wallet"? The other hubs would ask me the same question. However, it has never been permanently lost. That's because when we shop I have to keep it in my purse. He is bad about the dollar bills that he may have in his pocket. They flop around in the dryer everywhere if they are seen again.
Your stories of the money still in your bags/wallet/purses is amazing.
This past day after Thanksgiving I found a $100 bill on the ground at Kohls. I left a note at the service desk. I felt horrible that someone lost it. I still have it in a drawer. I can't bear to look at it.
My dog sitter found Lindsay's wallet that had been lost three years ago in the cushions of my couch after she was looking for the lost TV remote(do you detect a theme here?), I guess this also says a lot about my housekeeping abilities, doesn't it??Turns out, the puppy had taken the remote out into the back garden.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was little, I left a turquoise bracelet that my grandparents gave me in the mall bathroom while we were on vacation. I didn't realize the bracelet was missing until we got home...a least hundred miles away from that mall! My parents called, and the cleaning lady found my bracelet and they mailed it to us! I wonder if that would happen now?
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked my recipe for potato soup! It's one of my favorites! I was wondering if anyone reads those recipes!
Okay, this is a little bit different, but embarrassing nonetheless: a couple years ago, I started vaguely thinking to myself that I had once had a Macy's credit card, but that it was nowhere in my wallet. I figured I had probably cut it up, in some effort to not use a credit card. I figured I wouldn't worry about it. Then, a year later, I kinda got worried about it, like what if someone took it and now I owe Macy's a billion dollars? And so I called Macy's, and cancelled the card (no one had used it, but it was registered to an address that I lived in 4 moves ago...) Then, about a month ago, I found the card (along with other various cards, including one (expired) Visa card) in a ziplock baggie stashed in an old bag of makeup under my bathroom sink. The bag also contained one pair of prescription eyeglasses that I wore in high school. I think I REALLY need to look more carefully at the stuff I pack up when I move.
ReplyDeleteWhy, yes! Story from today - I casually asked my husband where he put the paperwork verifying that the truck we were driving was our new truck, not stolen, but was in fact ours. This was the paperwork verified by a contract written up by the former owner of the car, notarized, and the DMV release of ownership. He looked at me with a confused expression...
ReplyDeleteI had that moment of gripping fright when you realize that something vital has gone missing. I had already searched the truck, my carry-all bag, my purse. There really was nowhere else it could be but lost, probably dropped in a gutter somewhere while i was walking and digging through my purse. So, I checked my purse again, almost certain it couldn't be in there (I had just cleaned out my purse! I know every item in there!) and lo and behold.
All's well that ends well and thank you God!
Your story was far more hilarious, but I can sure relate! :)
Firstly, I swear I wasn't copying your post title. Weird! Right?
ReplyDeleteSecondly, Mark can misplace an item faster than anyone I know. Like 10 seconds is all it takes for it to disappear. He's like an accidental magician.
I will attest that in addition to having amazing luck at finding things they've lost (and Amy, you're not even going into all the things, like remember J's amazing super expensive sunglasses?), they also have some kind of hotline to heaven in helping others find lost things. A number of times, I've told Amy that I was looking for something or that I was bummed to have lost something, and she gets on the red prayerphone, and IT APPEARS. She can do this from a different continent. You want her on your team, people.
ReplyDeleteMichele Renee, you are so sweet to just hang onto that money. I found that really touching.
ReplyDeleteMaggie--that is AWESOME about the wallet in the couch cushions! Love it.
And Ginny, that is truly amazing about the bracelet getting sent back to you. You're right--I'm not sure that would happen these days, but anything's possible!
And V--as for finding stuff you thought was gone, I hear you! I just cleaned out our linen closet and found a suitcase in the bottom filled with shoes that Jason I looked for for 6 months after we moved (2 years ago). We were so bummed to have "lost" those shoes. I felt more than a little silly.
Julie, I have had that happen before too--you look for the fifth time somewhere that you KNOW it won't be and there it is. What a huge relief!
And Sara, I had to laugh, cause I am the same with Jason. It amazes me how fast things can go missing! For the "little" things, I just kind of calmly wait and he finds them in his pants pockets, in the car, under the couch--wherever.
And I'm not sure about a prayerphone, Beck! Though heaven IS on our Skype contact list. I think some of it is that we just figure, why not ask? It's all too easy to assume that it's pointless to pray about things like this--would God really care, etc. Maybe we're silly, but we really believe he does. That doesn't mean it always happens like we want it(GPS still AWOL), but it does quite often.
Ok, LONGEST comment ever. Sorry!
I was witness to the two in one day lost and found escapades and it was amazing!( Walmart and the strip mall parking lot) Maybe we are surrounded by miracles and just don't recognize them or pay attention. Shame on us !! Thanks for the reminder, Ame.
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