How the Lost was Found

I have a personal faith story I would like to share with everyone.  It's all about a set of lost keys.  I know that seems like a small thing to lose and not very significant, but hang with me.  It gets better.

Let me begin by saying it is very common for me to lose things.  I'm quite gifted at it actually.  If there was an Olympic event for lost keys and phones, I'd be in the running for gold for sure.  So when I noticed my school keys were missing last Friday, I didn't get too worked up about it.  I just assumed they would resurface in the next day or 2, probably somewhere obscure, but I would find them.  When I still hadn't found them on Monday, I was becoming flustered.  Tuesday I called places I had been on Thursday.  Still no keys.  Tuesday night, Michael looked in every crevice of the Yukon and I searched every article of clothing I had or might had worn.  Still no keys.

I had been praying on and off throughout my search process but had not felt any pull from God in any certain direction.  I had been leading myself through the search the entire time.  Tuesday night I decided to give up.  I closed my eyes, bowed my head, and spoke with my God.  "God, I know it's just a set of keys.  I know it's not that big of a deal, but it has been weighing on me.  No more.  I give up.  It would be awesome if you would reveal the keys to me, but if you don't, I'm done allowing it to bother me.  I give it up, to you."  It felt good to let it go from my shoulders to His feet.

When I woke Wednesday morning, I recalled a dream I had had while I slept...  I was in the gym with the fifth graders.  I was telling them about my lost set of keys and if they should happen upon them to let me know.  As I was speaking, I was pulling the parachute out of the box when my hand felt something among the nylon.  As I looked to my hand, one of the girls pointed and said, "Mrs. Wicks!  Are those your keys?!"  When I looked to where she was pointing, I saw a green lanyard through the white nylon.  My hands parted the slippery surface of the parachute and clink! My keys fell to the wooden gym floor.  Hmmmm....  Made me think, but really? Maybe, but doubtful.

Later that morning I was telling the account of my lost keys, prayer and dream to some co-workers.  When one laughed at me I responded with, "Hey!  Don't laugh at me.  I'm going the gym right now to look in the parachute box!"

I headed off across the street to the gym.  As I made my way to the gym closet, I wasn't sure what to think.  Was I crazy?  It's not like God would speak to me.  I hushed my mind as I opened the supply closet, located the box and began pulling the parachute out.  Clink!  Keys fell into the box.  My jaw nearly hit the floor and my eyes had to have been the size of saucers.

As I began to leave the gym, I had to share my story with the other PE teacher.  "You'll never believe what just happened to me" I began.  She listened in awe and then told me, "You know Billie Jo what's really bizarre?  That box fell over yesterday and I scooped it up, pushed the parachute back inside and never saw a key."

Say what you will about the power of the human mind, but I firmly believe this is a testament of the power of God.  (Like Pat said, "You're blonde, it's not like your mind could have known the answer the whole time!"  Thanks Pat, thanks.)  To know that God knows me, hears me and loves me enough to not only help me find the lost, but also to speak to me and in such a clear manner just leaves me in lovestruck wonder I can't even begin to describe it.  How great is our God?  Pretty great and then some.