i cannot begin to tell you how often i cannot find things. i will put my glasses somewhere or throw too much in my purse, and will find myself going “where are my glasses?” or “i can’t find my keys,” more than i’d like to admit.
so much so that emily doesn’t even get worried when i say these things.
once, i really seriously scarily lost my key. i was in seattle, and couldn’t find the actual key to my car. i had the button thingy, that unlocked and opened it, but not the key. i retraced my steps along the street and looked all in mei-ling’s apartment. i called triple a and they said that not only couldn’t they help me, but since the title of the car is in my mom’s name, a locksmith wouldn’t make me a key without my mom present… who was 3 hours away and had no idea i’d gone to seattle for the night. i’m not a rebellious, sneaky liar. i just never tell people things.
but then i had this amazing moment. i was in my car, thinking about how God tests me to build my character. i was doing an extraordinary job of staying calm and level-headed, and i felt convicted to read my Bible. and i kept thinking “no, i’ll read my Bible after i find my key…” and then got hit with a ton of bricks: READ YOUR BIBLE. i unlocked the trunk to get my Bible, and there sitting in one of the little ridges of the trunk was my key.
knowing that God cares about the little things and likes to give me chance after chance to prove myself a trusting, patient, slowtoanger child, i don’t freak out about these things anymore. plus they happen to me a lot.
monday was a beautiful day, so i washed my car and poked around the garage. i found lots of great things and found tons of things to donate to the salvation army, and organized my barbie collection.
then i went inside and began to consolidate three huge tubs of craft supplies. when it was time to go to Bible study, i realized i couldn’t find my keys. somewhere between the garage and the living room, they’d been lost. not to worry, i thought. i’ll use the spare and find them tonight when i get home.
but i couldn’t find them monday evening.
or tuesday morning.
or tuesday evening.
and i began to accept that i’d need to get new keys. which was sad, but the saddest part was that i have a mary-kateandashley keychain that i’ve had for a long time  and a supersweet disneyland princess keyring i’ve had for years. i didn’t know what could replace them.
i went through a pile of purses and was emptying them out and examining the strange things i leave in purses when i switch them {tea bags, handfuls of vitamins, my favorite lip gloss, an old set of keys..} and then realized that when i emptied out the purse i’ve been using, i couldn’t find my camera.
the camera i remember seeing the last time i saw my keys.
suddenly it wasn’t “oh well i’ll get new keys,” because i realized i’d need a new CAMERA as well. but still, i realized that i always find them. i am scatterbrained and slightly forgetful, but i’m not completely irresponsible. i knew that they were around somewhere.
so i checked my trunk, which i had emptied out on monday. not in there. checked the consolidated box of crafts. not in there. checked where i keep my coffee tumblers. not in there. not in the bag of stuff to donate, not under the couch or in the couch, on the piano, behind the piano, or in my bathroom or in the spare bedroom.
and then i saw a piece of fabric i remember holding. i’d thrown it into a box of pictures. and when i picked it up, guess what i found.
my camera and my keys.
hooray!
found 🙂