Testimony: lost purse

Mom and I had been running errands all afternoon. I had my purse with me of course, because its habit and why would I not, but early on in our errand running I had decided I didn't need to carry it in at every stop because I wasn't paying for anything. My mind was on other things and it was just one more thing to worry about. Switching seats with Aidan after stopping at Target I looked in the front seat for my purse and didn't see it, figured I must have already put it in the backseat and didn't worry when I didn't see it back there either. For such a detail oriented person such as myself, this was unusual lack of concern but I knew it was in the car somewhere. I changed cars to ride home with Dad. I didn't need my purse just to ride home so I didn't bother to look for it in Mom's car before she left. Figuring that Mom probably brought it in with her when she got home and cleared out the car I didn't think to look for it when we got home either.

The following morning when I got ready to leave the house I remembered that I hadn't ever found my purse. I asked Mom and she said she hadn't seen it and that had worried her a little but she figured I'd grabbed it before changing cars with Dad or something. I knew I hadn't left it home before we ran errands, hadn't brought it in at most places we had stopped, and hadn't taken it out of the car at Dad's office. We all searched the car. It was truly missing. "Don't worry. I'm sure we will find it." I said with calm faith. As Dad and I drove into town and I retraced my memory of our previous afternoon. No memory of a clear moment of misplacing it. Nevertheless I remained totally calm and knew the Lord had His hand on me -- whether I had left it somewhere in town, it had been stolen out of the front seat of the car at some stop, or I'd just lost it somewhere safe. Then a faint glimmer of a memory floated through my mind, a memory of slipping my purse strap over the back of a chair. We were one exit away from the Starbucks Mom and I had stopped at the day before. I calmly asked Dad if we could stop there. He said yes. We went, stood in line and I confidently asked the barista if they had found a small, tan purse the day before. "Umm, let me go see." He came out holding it with a questioning look at me and, when I recognized it and nodded smiling, handed it to me. Everything was inside, including my car keys which I hadn't yet realized I had left in it.

It had been more than twelve hours since I had left my ID, credit cards, and car keys in the middle of town and I'd had complete peace while they were missing. My Lord had my back. Resting easy in Him in this season.