Geoffrey the Giraffe Didn't Steal My Money!

Jerry came home early Friday afternoon so we could take the kids out to purchase educational toys. We originally had planned on going to Hawaiian Falls, but the threat of rain put a damper on that idea.

We decided to make the haul to Mesquite and venture in to Toys R Us. If you have not been to the Toys R Us in Mesquite, it is not quite the wonderland one would expect...it's gives you more of a feeling of a Big Lots for kids. Catchin' my drift?

After scouring the aisles for the item that would advance our children into the next open enrollment for Mensa, Ashlyn came away with a Disney Princess dry-erase board with pages to practice writing the alphabet, numbers, shapes and simple words. Aidan, our engineer, wanted a new puzzle and since making the trip to the museum, asked for dinosaurs ('cause they have bones and will chomper you). Austin, our baby genius, opted for a Lightning McQueen book and plushie.

It was turning out to be a rather uneventful trip, with the exception of the occasional "I want this too" whine in unison from our two older darlings, when we went to the check-out and they spotted the "rides." You know, the clown car and the firetruck that rock back and forth for 30 seconds? I caved in to the begging and went diving into my purse for loose change. Amidst the non-stop question "can I ride next" and corralling AJ while Jerry paid for our merchandise, I set down my wallet on a closed register. Oblivious to my error we rushed out the door, into the car, and back to Rockwall. The worst part...I had just taken $450 out of the bank.

We cheerfully arrived home, played with the kids new goodies, ate dinner, put the kids in bed and sat down to watch the Olympics and begin our relaxing weekend. Between Michael Phelps crushing the gold medal record and watching track and field, we chatted about our finances. Still unaware that my wallet was somewhere in Mesquite we discussed how through every trial, every struggle, every bump in the road, the Lord faithfully provides for us. We are amazed at how there are times when the bank shows the money is just not there yet the Lord sustains. We went to bed thankful for His mercy.

We awoke in the morning to an overcast sky. It was much cooler than it had been the last few days. We decided we would walk to the donut shop down the road for a fun outing with the kids. Kids in-tow I grabbed my purse (which was quite a bit lighter than I expected) and walked out the door. Unsure of its weight, I rummaged through my purse...to my surprise there was no wallet!! In a panic I yelled for Jerry. We searched the car and the house and retraced my steps over the past 24 hours. My heart was in my throat.

Oh Father, remind me where I misplaced it.

The money that I had taken out of the bank was for groceries and living expenses for the next two weeks. Toys R Us didn't open until 9:30 so we decided to drive back to Mesquite and await the store opening.

I jumped out of the car as soon as we pulled up to the building. I paced back and forth between the registers and the customer service desk...I never realized there were THAT many people shopping for toys at 9:30 on a Saturday morning. A gentlemen finally asked me if there was something he could help me with. After explaining my situation he began rustling through several drawers...he found my wallet! And all of my cash was there! A woman was checking out at the register next to me when all of this went down. She simply turned to me and said, "what a blessing." Exactly.

What a blessing it is to know we serve a God that is good, and fair. He was there as I wrestled our children and absent-mindedly set my wallet next to my purse. He saw the person who found it and turned it in...untouched. He placed the image in my scattered-brain and helped me recall the events of the day before. Thank you, Omnipotent Father of mercy and grace. You deserve all the credit, all the glory and honor.

Matthew 6:4
"...Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."