Sadness turned to joy!

Have you ever felt the anxiousness, agitation and foolishness that overwhelms you when you've realised that you've lost your hand phone? Well that happened to me yesterday... foolishness because I've never lost a hand phone before, and I just couldn't figure how/why I had dropped it, thinking that I was just so stupid! I was so anxious also because we were meant to pick Aunty A up from Waikanae after her retreat ended, and didn't even know what time or where to pick her up from! Knowing that she didn't have K's number with her, and we do not have a landline, how was she to contact me?? Suddenly, I thought that we were just too presumptuous to think that 1 number was sufficient for her to contact us at. But, who would have thought that I would lose my 'life-line'? We tried calling my phone, but no one picked it up. It just kept ringing. I felt that there was still hope that the phone was still on, and that it was probably not stolen.

Anyway, the discovery was made as we were preparing to go to church, 20 minutes before service started. I realised that I'd probably dropped it at the Thai restaurant we were at the night before when I had taken my jacket off, and just draped it on the back of my chair. It must have fallen out while we were eating, or while we were packing up to leave... whenever...

We decided to go to the restaurant to look, which I knew would not be open, or to at least look around the area where the car had been parked. All this while, my heart was heavy, blaming myself for my stupidity. When we knew there was nothing else to do but to call when the restaurant had opened, we headed back. By this time, we were 20 minutes late for service. K asked if I still wanted to go to church. I debated for awhile, but decided in the end that it's the best thing, though I really didn't feel up to it. So here we were, sitting church, listening to the sermon. The scenes of the night before flashing in my head.... I was trying to picture what I should have done, what I would usually do before we left a place (ie check my belongings). I was even thinking about who I could put the blame on! Well, pastor preached on Romans 9. It was interesting how it was put across that we've been chosen by God in His grace and mercy... not because we are special in any way. It was illustrated by the example of Jacob and Esau. God chose Jacob, not because He was better than Esau, He just had to choose someone! I just kept thinking that I'm a recipient of His grace and mercy not by anything that I've done, and I really don't deserve it at all! All the more to be grateful, and store up my treasures in heaven, and not on earth. By this time, my anger and frustrations had quelled, and the joy of the Lord really filled me! I was, by this time, smiling and praising God. After service, I felt that a huge burden had been lifted off my shoulders, and I didn't worry if I found my phone or not. I told K that I had faith that it was at the restaurant, picked up by their staff.

Thankfully, I remembered the name of the retreat centre Aunty A was at, and looked the address up on the internet. We just assumed that she'll be done at 1, and made our way to Waikanae. Thank God also that Ken had her phone number on his Singapore SIM card, and retrieved it before leaving home. We were late getting to her, and as things would turn out, we took a 'short-cut' through a mountain road where there would be NO hand phone signal! So we couldn't even message her to tell her we were late, but were on the way! I thought she might have been frantic and worried about us. Hopefully she hadn't hitched a ride from one of her friends thinking that we didn't get her message! 

Oh, what an eventful day! We got to Aunty A half and hour late, but she was still waiting for us there. Phew...

Back to the hand phone... I called the restaurant in the evening, and found out that the waiter had actually picked up a phone, and gave it to one of my friends at the table, as we had left before the others. I was so thankful! I tried to call one of the girls, but she didn't reply, and my phone still kept going unanswered. My friend finally replied today. I'm so relieved that I've got my phone back. Thank God for that. He also gave me such peace to know that everything will be right in the end. As much as my hand phone is really not as important to me now as when I'm in Singapore, it still is something I can't seem to live without...