I consider myself quintessentially mediocre. I've read enough and listened enough to have an opinion on several subjects, but I'm not an expert. I have a few casual hobbies and interests but no real talents. (Don't start thinking of a sympathetic comment to write. I'm totally cool with this.) But there is one area where I've always thought of myself as gifted: finding lost things. I'm good at retracing steps, remembering details and logically deducing the location of the lost thing to the most likely places. When the item is found my self esteem inches upwards and I mentally chalk up another victory.
And since we are on such intimate terms on this blog I'll divulge the source of my finding powers: God. Like clockwork, I say a quick prayer for guidance then I get a new idea of where to look. Every time. Like Paul said, there are many spiritual gifts. Some people have great faith, some charity and some can speak in tongues. I can find things.
So last Friday while Spouse and I were in our front yard weeding, I noticed through our screen door that #3 was playing with my set of keys. A few hours later when I tried to find them, they were gone. Lost. But I had no doubt, no fear. Just confidence that the Lord would lead me to the keys. As usual, I mentally petitioned the Lord for help and went about finding the keys.
{On my key chain I keep our mail key. Which is illegal to copy and if lost you pay to have your mail box re-keyed. Times are tough, friends. $100 goes a long way these days. And now you understand my motivation for finding my lost keys.}
After a little while, and no luck yet. I began to doubt. Its never taken this long. Why doesn't the Lord just hurry up and give me my keys back? But I couldn't give up that easily, not after the many, many times I had found the thing I was looking for.
A day passed. Still looking. Just waiting for the light bulb in my head to switch on. Why are you testing me, Lord?!? Is this supposed to teach me patience?
Several more days passed. By now every drawer, every cupboard had been emptied out and searched. Under beds, behind furniture, under cushions, searched. Under stove, behind frig, behind washer, dryer....dust bunnies from every possible corner dislodged and still nothing. There is no end to the possibilities where a curious 22 month old could leave something! At this point we were praying as a family for our lost keys. I'd even offered a Webkinz reward to whichever child made the discovery.
I guess I'm going to have to find a new spiritual gift.
Last night as Spouse and I were about to turn in he said, "I think I'll wake up early tomorrow and go through our trash before it gets picked up." Bless his heart.
7:00 am found Spouse rummaging through repulsive bags of week old raw chicken trimmings, soiled diapers and foul smelling milk cartons. The sacrifice was not in vain, because after only a few minutes he triumphantly entered the house holding the lost keys over his head. (For a moment he attempted to capitalize on his victory by claiming having found the keys entitled him to certain compensations.)
They were found! I don't know what I was more relieved about, having found the lost keys, or knowing that the Lord hadn't let me down.
So my question is: Can I claim any credit for the finding of these keys? Because this is really what matters.
10 comments:
A better question is why your husband is motivated to have a Webkinz prize. Or perhaps you offered him other prizes? Hmmmm....
I say that you get no glory for the find--he gets the reward, but you do get to receive the gift of patience, so you're all winners.
This is so funny because this post is almost exactly how I feel. Almost in that I feel like have sooooo many more talents, unlike you. ;) (You said you didn't want sympathy).
I always lose things, say a prayer, and find them...I guess I shouldn't say always because there are a couple things I'm still looking for, but I totally related to this post. I've even found keys in the garbage. (What I'm really trying to do is belittle your talent by saying I have the same one.)
I think by praying with the family, it inspired spouse to think of the garbage. I'm sure you encouraged the family prayer so therefore you contributed to the key find. Ta da!
Oh and P.S.
Talents/Hobbies:
Cooking, patience, mothering, writing (your blog of course-still waiting for your novel to come out), playing catan (except against me), exercising, reading, funny, fabulous story teller, and good friend...to name a few.
haha...
well YOU did marry him so you can totally claim credit! absolutely.
glad you found them. nothing (NOTHING) drives me more crazy than lost items!!!
I would normally say that Spouse gets a prize for what he went through...but I have previously learned that he IS the prize.
I don't know, JL. Looks like it's kinda a shady move on your part, but I'm all for shady moves, so go for it!
Maybe the Lord knew that spouse needed some self esteem more than you right now. Or, you can just boost your self esteem by counting your blessings that you have the type of spouse willing to look through the trash. Pretty sure mine would have paid the $$$ instead, regardless of affordability.
Oh i needed a good laugh right now and picturing your hubby knee deep in junk did it for me. Hope he got a good shower after that.
The last time I had this problem I made some pretty big promises in exchange for the missing key (in my case it was my mls key) that Auggy put inside my rice cooker in the cupboard. I think I would of rather had my spouse rummage through the garbage, request all glory and a prize than make promises I really didn't want to keep. Point-Spouse.
You have many talents. And you do get credit for this find because after all, you and spouse are one! P.S. - you should have told me about this - I would have suggested the trash right away, having had similar finds.
I hate to say it, but I think the award goes to Matt for getting inside the garbage. However, when we pray, we don't get to choose WHOM or HOW it's found... just that it's found. So I think your 'gift' is very much still effective!! :) I think that you can still claim it.
Seriously, you need to go and HUG your hubby again though (or perhaps come through on that reward - hehe)! If I had admitted to my man that I saw the little cutie sporting my keys around and then someone had to look through the trash... it would have been ME!! :) hahaha! ;)
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