Whenever I go through a small problem, I usually experience three emotions in this order: confusion, panic, relief, and embarrassment.
A good example of this recently happened when I made a quick stop at the grocery store one morning on my way to work. There I bought a drink, a snack, and something for lunch. Once I reached my car, I sat my bag of goodies in the passenger floorboard. Then I glanced down to the keyring in my hand and I was immediately confused. Something wasn’t right, but I wasn’t sure what it was. Then the realization hit me. My car key was no longer on my keyring.
I need to back up a little here. A couple of weeks ago, my car had to go into the shop for a few days. Or course, I had to leave my car key with the mechanic. After we picked it up, Tim put the key on the same ring with my other keys. I don’t know how it happened, but it had slipped off of that key ring. That’s when the panic started.
My first thought was to look into the bag. I peered into it and didn’t see the key. Next, I wondered if it was lying on the parking lot. If I was right, it would be destroyed if it was run over by a car or even a heavy buggy. So, I scoured over the area around my car. No key. To me that meant it had fallen off in the store. As soon as I walked back inside, I checked the buggy I had used. It was still sitting in the same place I left it. Again, nothing. My panic was growing. Immediately I went to the cashier and told her what had happened. Being a sweet lady, she had one of the guys in the front help me retrace my steps while she searched around the front of the store. None of us found it. At this point, I knew I would have to let Tim know about the missing key. Also, I would have to call work so somebody could come and get me. I didn’t like the thought of leaving my unlocked car sitting there. That’s when I had a realization. I had locked it after I parked. So, I would have had the car key to unlock it to sit the bag inside. Immediately I ran out to my car, jerked the door open, and dug through the bag. Sitting on the bottom was my key. As the relief washed over me, I said a prayer of thanks. But I still couldn’t hop in my car and drive to work. I had to go back inside and tell the store workers since they were still looking for my key. A key that had been in my bag the whole time. My sense of relief morphed into embarrassment.
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:” Matthew 7:7 (KJV)
Why didn’t I find my car key when I looked into the bag the first time? As my momma has always said: “You half looked.” I don’t know if that’s just her term or if it’s a southern one, but it means you don’t thoroughly search for something. Instead, you did more of a glance rather than a seek. That’s exactly what I did, or rather, I didn’t do. I think the same can be said for The Lord. Some claim they can’t find evidence for Him and yet it is all around them. Others may just glance at the bible or a church service and miss so much. But, for those that truly seek Him, He will always be found.
I jogged back inside the store and told the cashier that I had found my car key. After I thanked her, I spun around to make my get-away. Before I could do that, she asked where I had found it. After I told her, she gave me a blank facial expression. My first response was to think: “Bless her heart.” Then I realized she was probably thinking the same thing about me.
Brooke Cox is an author, speaker, and storyteller. She was a 2016 Selah Awards Finalist for Debut Novel. Her children’s book: “Dinosaur Eggs,” is now available. It is based on Ephesians 6: The Armor of God. Her novel “Until the Moon Rises: A Conniving Cousin Mystery” is also available. Also, she has two books out in her storytelling series: “Saucy Southern Stories.” The Amazon links for her books may be found on her website: brookecoxstories.com. Please feel free to contact her. She would love to hear from you.