“We know that all things work for good

... for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Can God use a lost cell phone to show us his love?  You be the judge.

As I arrived at my church to begin the first of three spiritual direction sessions, I realized I couldn’t find my cell phone.  My mind immediately went to reviewing my day and the last time I remembered using it – at Costco to check my shopping list.  Did I leave it there?  Had it fallen out of my purse?  Was it between the seats in my car?  If only I could call my husband as he has my phone on his Find My App.  He could tell me where it is.  But I have no phone to call him.  And if I did, I don’t remember his phone number.  Such a change from the old days when we used landline phones and I had everyone’s phone number memorized.  Now everyone has moved to cell phones, whose numbers are only housed in my contact list on my cell phone.  In my panicked state I couldn’t remember anyone’s phone number, so how could I even call for help? 

But there was no time to deal with this now, my first appointment was here and waiting for me to start.  As the session began, I prayed valiantly to be attentive.  As my directee talked, try though I might to push it back, my mind kept searching for answers to where my phone was.  As my mind wandered, I missed some parts of the conversation, forcing me to rely on God exclusively for what to say next, sometimes surprising myself with what came out of my mouth, while at the same time chastising myself for being distracted.  I was so aware that God was carrying me through this – working these sessions for good for the directees, as well as reminding me clearly of my role as a spiritual director to always listen to what God wants me to say, not what I think should be said. 

When my last directee was late (or so I assumed, since I couldn’t see if she had texted me that she would be late – or perhaps she had texted that she was unable to make it at all?),  I ran to my car to search it more thoroughly.  No luck.  I prayed more fervently to God – and to St. Anthony, to find my phone.  On the way back to the spiritual direction room I saw my friend, and church employee, Scott, setting up for a meeting in the church hall.  As I hurried back to the church doors to check to see if my directee had arrived yet, a plan began to develop, which certainly used my God gifted problem-solving skills. but  I also very much believe it was inspired by God. 

I returned to the front church doors to find that my directee had still not arrived.  The doors had been locked for the night so I needed to be there to let her in.  Yet, I needed to find my cell phone as the night was getting later – darkness clouding my search and quickly approaching closing time at Costco.  If only I could let my directee know the situation, but how, without a phone – or even her phone number?  I hastily grabbed an old church bulletin and scrawled her name on top with this message “ I lost my phone.  I’ll be right back to let you in.” I shoved it between the  church doors and ran over to find Scott in the church hall. 

In my heightened state of stress I skipped the pleasantries.  My greeting to him was merely “Scott, I need your help.”  His response, truly an embrace from God, was immediate “I can’t wait to help a damsel in distress.”  Such grace – no impatience with me for interrupting his work, asking for one more thing at the end of a long day, truly the kind of response you would want from anyone, and most especially a church employee.  I asked if he could look up my church record to find my husband’s cell phone number and then let me use the church phone to call him so he would at least recognize the name of the church calling and perhaps answer the call.  Scott’s response was immediate, calm, and loving, just as my experience of God.  How I was reminded that my random interactions with others matter, because loving, caring responses like Scott’s do reassure us that God is with us, even in the mundane details of life.  We are not alone. 

Scott found my husband’s number,  I made the call, my husband answered, he used the app to find that my cell phone was somewhere with me in the area of the church – perhaps in the car or in one of the many bags I was carrying that I had searched many times but obviously overlooked.  How wonderful!  It was here somewhere and I would find it later.  Back to the door to see if my last directee was there.

I found her shivering in the cold but calmly waiting since she had seen my note.  I proceeded to briefly share the story with her which led to an amazing sharing from her on the very topic she had brought to talk about – how God had been using the difficulties in her life for good – to mold and shape her more into his likeness.  Such an amazing witness to further reinforce the very message I was living. 

Our session ended late because it had started so late, and I wondered if it was even possible to make it to dance class now.  I scrambled to get changed and drive to the dance studio in downtown Ann Arbor, praying (as I rarely do for things of this nature) to find a parking place so I could arrive before class started.  I usually have to circle for quite a while, waiting for someone to leave.   Amazingly a parking place opened up just as I pulled into the lot.  This never happens. Such a lovely reminder that God wants us to invite him into even the smallest details of our lives – lost phones, needed parking places, getting to dance class.  I made it to class on time and really enjoyed it. 

I had such a lightness consoled by God’s presence throughout this whole ordeal, which continues today.  A lightness that I have been missing for too long as I have allowed myself to get weighed down by my aging dog’s decline, the challenges of a new marriage, a never-ending to do list, and the many worries of this world.  I feel changed by this whole experience, somehow more aware of God’s presence and more assured of his desire for me to be happy, peaceful, and fulfilled.  Which he showed me comes from trusting that he is indeed in all things, even the tough things, working them to good.  How good is God to point all this out to me, reminding me of what I knew but lost tract of, had forgotten!