A Miraculous Moment

Have you ever experienced an episode in your life that was so thrilling you'll never forget it? Perhaps it was the healing of a friend or family member whose death seemed imminent. Or the acceptance of a job application you didn't think you would receive? Or perhaps it was a moment of sheer coincidence that you couldn't have imagined would take place? As it did for us last Tuesday.

Lunching out with a couple of friends is a weekly occurrence for my husband and I. Walking to a different cafe, pub or restaurant, on each occasion, we then mark the food quality and cost, ambience, staff, and so on – all for a bit of fun. The men usually walk ahead, chatting about football, or the like, while we women have more diverse conversations. Then, suddenly, last week, my husband stopped, bent down, and picked up something on the kerb.

'Someone must have lost it,' he said, turning it over in his hand. 'It's a purse.'

'Wow! What a loss,' we responded..

Over lunch, in the hope that we might find a name and address, we examined the contents. There was no cash, but it was packed full of credit cards, debit cards, a library card, and a railway ticket.  Full of empathy, and shaking our heads, we each of us shared our thoughts on how the owner must have been feeling.

'Any names or addresses?' my husband asked.

'Yes,' I cheered, 'there's a name here. A woman's name.'

'But no address!' My husband pursed his lips. 'So we can't trace her.'

Minutes later, finding the railway ticket, he revealed that it was from Reading.

'I wonder if she lives here, and has been visiting someing in Reading? Or whether she's here on holiday?'

Who knows?

Eventually, discovering a particular bank card, we decided that the best thing would be to bus into town, and see if the local branch of this bank could trace her. After an enjoyable meal, we returned home, picked up our bus passes, and walked to the nearest bus stop, only ten minutes away.

While we were standing waiting for the bus to arrive, my hub noticed a black woman sitting on a nearby bench, a rarity in our part of the town.

'I think I saw her this morning,' he said. 'I'm sure I did!'

Racing back to the woman, I said hello, then asked if she'd lost something.

'Yes,' she said, clearly close to tears.

'What did you lose?' I asked.

'My purse. Full of my bank cards.'

Aware that we must be certain that this was the right person, before revealing our find, I asked her name, and my hub asked if she'd travelled by train the previous day and, if so, from where.

'From Reading' she told us. 'And the hotel I'd booked into, asked me for ID. But I had none.'

'Praise the Lord,' I exclaimed. 'We found your purse and all your cards.'

'God bless you,' she said.

Then, just as the bus arrived, all three of us, close to tears, had a big, long hug.

Aware that this was no coincidence, we knew it had to be God's doing; His timing! The lady revealed that she, too, was waiting for the bus, so that she could go to the bank and ask them to secure her account. Had we, or she, arrived at the bus stop earlier or later, we would have missed one another. What a wonderful God we have. And what a pleasure, and privilege it was to be his messengers.

If you have a story similar to this, do let me know and, with your permission, I'd love to put it up on my website.