An Anniversary Miracle

Late yesterday afternoon, I was getting ready for my date with John. I was drying my hair and evidently didn't hear the doorbell ring, so Will came and told me that some lady was at the front door.

I quizzed him for a few seconds: Do you recognize her? Does it look like she's selling something? He shrugged and said he didn't know, so I walked to the front door and peeked thru the peephole. I usually don't answer the door if I don't know who the caller is, but something about this visitor compelled me to open it.

What I saw next brought me to tears.

This cute red-headed lady was standing there holding my purse that was stolen back in April. I could not believe my eyes!

She told me that her son had found it while walking home...behind a dumpster in a shopping center close to their house, partially hidden in some tall grass. He brought it home and showed it to her, and she called the police in our little town. The police told her they'd come retrieve it but after waiting several days for them to show up, she took matters into her own hands, looked up my address (my ID was still in my wallet) and delivered it to me.

OH. MY. GOSH.

How awesome is that? Doesn't it just restore your faith in the goodness of humanity?!?

She was so sweet while I stood there stunned and digging through it. She told me when her son found it, it was full of water. We've had a very wet couple of months (unusual) and I figured everything in it was ruined, but I was just so stinkin' happy to have it back that I didn't care.

She also told me that all the credit cards were gone (they've all been cancelled/reissued anyway) and I saw that my iPod was definitely gone too. However, my wallet was still in it and so were my coupons (yay!) and my zippies and my lipsticks and my nail file (the good one!) and my gloves and my house keys! (which aren't any good now that we've changed all the locks, but oh well!).

Unbelievable. 

I was so stunned that I forgot to even ask her name, or ask her to thank her son for me. I wish I had been a little more present in that moment. Nice, pretty, red-headed lady: If you happen to read this will you contact me so I can thank you and your son? 

Soon after she left, our babysitter arrived, so I just shoved it all in the dirty clothes basket and this morning I pulled it out and sorted through the mess. It was filthy and filled with all sorts of dirt and debris. See?

But...Vera Bradley bags are machine washable! So I took it downstairs, treated all the stains and determined it's salvageable. It's a little sunbleached in parts, but overall is still in amazing shape to have been sitting out in the snow, wind, rain, cold, heat, and intense sun of CO!

After washing (twice):

My zippies from Joanne are a little stained (I think from the granola-bar packaging) but I'm so happy to have them back...especially the monogrammed one. And even though I had to throw out all my coupons (they were wet and mildewed) I am thrilled to have my coupon file that-I've-had-for-15+ years back. Most of the stuff that was in my wallet was still intact too...so amazing!

The biggest surprise of all? Just before I threw the purse in the washing machine, I checked the inner pockets one more time. I was trying to get all the rocks/pebbles out, and lo and behold I found this!

I was very worried it was ruined because of all the moisture it had been exposed to, but guess what? I cleaned the grime off, put it in my camera, and discovered that all the pics I hadn't downloaded were still on it.

I cried again. Because it really was an anniversary miracle! 

I've had a thankful heart all day long! God really does care about the things that concern us...no matter how small or inconsequential they might seem.