MYSTERY!
Don Hawley
If you like a good mystery, you're going to love this.
A number of years ago I was pleased to receive a gift of a gold Cross pen. I was very displeased to arrive home and find it missing. My last stop had been at a service station, and I assumed I must have dropped it while my car was being gassed. Given the level of honesty now prevalent in society at large, I had little hope of finding it. Sure enough, a thorough search around the pump was fruitless, and the station attendants said nothing had been turned in. I left dejected.
Upon arrival at home I did a search of the car just in case I had dropped it inside. Nothing; I went on in the house. I couldn't get the pen off my mind, and a few minutes later returned to the car to do a thorough search. This time I looked under the seats and everywhere else a pen could be hidden. Still nothing.
A while later I was still concerned, and, feeling a bit foolish, I returned for a final scrutiny. As I opened the car door I immediately spotted the gold pen lying right in the middle of the passenger seat. Please understand that the seats were not covered with some floral design that could have camouflaged the pen. The seats were covered with plain, dark purple velour; the pen stuck out like the proverbial "sore thumb."
Explanation? It may not have had the same consequences as the parting of the Red Sea, but it was every bit as much a "miracle." There was no natural explanation. Although I didn't think it a matter to pray about, I can only assume the Lord put it there. Probably to keep me from spending the entire day doing repeated inspections! I've noted that often in my life God chooses to intervene in very minor matters; to me that is one of the signs of his greatness. And his caring ways. When something good happens, and I can't figure out how or why, I feel there can be no harm in attributing the action to God. After all, he is goodness personified.
Through the years I've never been able to forget this strange occurrence, and it often comes to mind. Like today.
While vacationing in the Caribbean, our ship stopped at Grand Cayman Island. This is the best place on earth to buy a watch at a much reduced price, and I ended up with a new gold beauty. It was modest compared to the bulk of the timepieces in that exclusive shop, but it was the nicest watch I had ever owned.
Naturally I've taken good care of this watch, and the only time it ever leaves my wrist is while I am showering and sometimes while I sleep. About five days ago it suddenly turned up missing. At first I wasn't perturbed as I felt sure it had to be in the house somewhere. It would turn up. It didn't. Each day I put up a search with no results; a real mystery. Finally I became truly concerned, as I felt I could never afford another like it.
This morning while Bunnie and I lay visiting before arising, I mentioned the missing watch once again. We thought about what might have happened, but without results. As I got up out of bed I remarked, "Today I'm going to do a room by room search until I find it." I walked into the bathroom and there right in the middle of the plain tile counter was the missing timepiece! I am still somewhat stunned as I write this.
Explanation? I have nothing to offer beyond what I mentioned in regards to the gold pen. I have some important spiritual material to put on the Internet today; perhaps God didn't want me to waste too much time doing a prolonged search.
Or maybe God just said to a nearby angel, "Well, a while back I had to help Don find his pen. Now he's lost his gold watch. Go down and put it where he'll stumble over it."
I look at my watch several times a day. Guess what I'm going to be thinking about from now on, in addition to the time. It will be a constant remembrance of the kind of God I serve.