Gone.

Last week I spent some time making good on a promise that I had made a year ago. Friends of mine asked me to experiment on them, well on their counter tops, they wanted cement counter tops and I wanted to learn how to make them. So last Thursday I was able to finally pour the special concrete mixture into the forms that we had built. The cement was really wet and it took 13 hours for it to dry to the point where I could be done finishing the surface. During the waiting period Connie and I went out to dinner and our friends graciously gave us a hundred dollar bill and said for us to go out to dinner wherever we wanted, on them. I tried to say no, but eventually I just thanked them and put the crisp Benjamin in my pocket.

When Connie arrived she brought me a change of clothes because I was filthy from bathing in the concrete throughout the day. I changed, transferring the money, keys and wallet into my pocket and we left. Connie wanted me to drive and I pulled my keys out of my pocket and we left for the restaurant. Halfway through the meal I wondered about the money and I reached into my pocket to reassure myself of its ability to pay for our meal.

It wasn’t there. Not wanting to panic I searched all of my pockets and my wallet to no avail. It was gone. In the back of my mind I had hoped that I had just left it in my other pants and that is what I communicated to Connie. With our debit card we paid for the meal and left.

I searched my pants my friend’s house, the car, the ground outside with a flashlight. I prayed for help to find it. It was gone. I am such an idiot. I told my friends what I had done and that I was sorry for losing their gift to us. I prayed some more, then asking God to forgive me for being careless with His gift to me I asked that he would give it to someone who needed more than we did.

“The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

To Be Continued….