I recently recommitted to my health and wellness journey, vowing to eat healthier, increase my physical fitness and practice intermittent fasting, among other things. I woke up one morning feeling the need to take my workout to the boardwalk near a local beach for an early Saturday morning workout. “Today is the day. Enough. I’m going to make it happen,” I thought to myself. I dressed and intentionally chose to wear a pair of leggings with a side pocket that would be able to hold my car key card and phone.
I couldn’t wait to power through my Peloton inspired combination walk and run. Feeling accomplished after the first twenty minute workout, I decided to repeat it with a second round. Approximately ten minutes into my second twenty minute workout, I reached into the side pocket of my leggings to pull out my phone. Not only did my phone come out, but out with it came my car key card. It fell on the boardwalk floor, richocheting off the floor and falling in between the ever so slightly larger than usual space in between the boardwalk planks. Seconds later, as I peered down over the edge of the pier, I saw my key card afloat in the water, separated from the plastic holding case in which it had rested.
I couldn’t believe it. Only moments before, I had debated whether to go past the boardwalk and onto the pier even though I had never noticed that the spacing between the pier planks was larger than the planks on the rest of the boardwalk. Now, here I was experiencing this issue right at the end of the boardwalk where the boardwalk met the pier. I shrieked. A runner passing by stopped to meet me. “Is everything alright?,” she questioned. “My key card fell through the plank crevice and is now floating in the water.” She looked over the railing, feeling badly about my situation. “I’m so sorry. How frustrating!,” she commented. “That’s alright. It could be worse. Thank you for even stopping,” I shared.
A few moments later I encountered two park rangers and explained my situation. They too looked over the pier, seeing the empty plastic case cover and my key card, approximately ten yards away from it. “We may be able to use the Tiki Beach boat docked below if someone is at the restaurant but they don’t usually open until 11:30 am,” park ranger Hagen explained. It was 8:45 am. She then thought, “Let’s go down to the end of the pier to see if we can get a bucket and some string. Maybe I can retrieve it that way.” She and park ranger Aguiar briskly walked toward the end of the pier, returning with a bucket and string offered to them by a fisherman.
By this time, my key card and the accompanying plastic cover, had drifted further away from the pier. At this point, they were approximately 40 yards away. I thought of my friend and sister in Christ, Ayorkor, who always has this way of praying that makes me and several other sisters in Christ chuckle. In fact, there is a running inside joke among us about Ayorkor’s approach and how humorous yet effective it seems to be. So, there I was following suit. I prayed the following prayer aloud:
“Lord, Your key card is floating in the Long Island Sound. Lord, Your daughter is in need of it so that she can be about Your business today. What are we to do about this, Lord?” Lord, I pray that I may be reunited with my key card.
In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.”
Park rangers Hagen and Aguiar chuckled at my prayer, probably because of the light-natured way in which I was reciting it.
I must say that while I was initially mildly disappointed as I witnessed my key card drift further and further away from the shoreline, I was feeling more peaceful than would normally be the case given a circumstance of that nature. Peace then shifted to unwavering faith that I would, in fact, get my key card back. I thought to myself, “Lord, I trust You. I know that I’m going to get my key card back.” I smiled as I kept my eyes on my key card so that I knew how to direct whomever else the Lord may use to help me get my key card back.
A short while later, park ranger Lee appeared on the scene with a pool net skimmer that we all strongly suspected would be too short to reach the key card. Nevertheless, he still attempted to retrieve my key card though his efforts were unsuccessful. Park ranger Lee then decided to walk to the edge of the dock in an attempt to get the attention of a small group of people who were approximately 60 years out on the Long Island Sound, enjoying a beautiful day on a boat. “Excuse me, we need help,” Park ranger Lee called out, hoping to attract the attention of those aboard the boat. After a few attempts, he got a response. “Something fell in the water,” park ranger Lee yelled. I then witnessed a man loosening a raft that had been tied to the back of the boat. The Lord had sent help, as I knew He would.
He then began rowing in the direction of my key card. After approximately five minutes of rowing, he slowed down and peered over the left side of his raft. “I’ve got it! Meet me at the edge of the dock so I can hand it to you,” he shouted. I scurried over to the dock to meet this good Samaritan and park ranger Lee. There was also another park ranger present who also came on to the scene. I went down the ramp and greeted him. “Thank you so much! You’re a lifesaver!,” I exclaimed. “You’re very welcome,” he replied.
Feeling so grateful, I couldn’t help but be reminded of God’s favor. Quietly in my heart, I thought, “Lord, thank You. You are so good and faithful.” I asked this good Samaritan, “May I offer a special prayer for you?” “Sure,” he replied. After discovering that his name was Dave, I prayed for him, thanking God for the gift of his life and for using Dave to assist me in my quandary. I asked the Lord to bless Dave and everything that is near and dear to his heart. I asked that peace and joy follow him all the days of his life. I asked the Spirit of the Lord to cancel any attempts of the enemy to distract, discourage, deter or do anything else to harm him. I prayed that the resources of heaven, which are boundless, be made available to Dave as he navigated life, praying all these things in the mighty name of Jesus. As I opened my eyes, Dave’s eyes were filled with tears. “You don’t know how much that prayer meant to me,” he shared. Dave shared about the mental health challenges that he has faced.
I realized that everything that had happened was divinely orchestrated by God. My key card was meant to fall in the Long Island Sound. I thought I was going to the beach and boardwalk to simply work out and that was, in part, true but God also had other plans. A divine appointment had been arranged with both of us having the opportunity to bless each other —Dave would bless me by retrieving my key card and I would bless him by offering a prayer that touched his heart. After Dave and I said our goodbyes, I turned around to find the park rangers standing a short distance behind me, witnessing our exchange. They too were a blessing to me that day. I approached them, telling them, “You all were a tremendous blessing to me too. I’d love to offer a prayer for you all.” They didn’t miss a beat, welcoming my invitation. The four of us held hands, while I prayed. It was a beautiful moment.
Reunited with my key card and feeling grateful beyond measure, I was ready to head back home to get my day started. In the days that followed, I continued to think about all that God had done and revealed through the situation involving my key card. Through my circumstance, the Holy Spirit reminded me of four powerful lessons.
Perspective Is Everything
As tempted as I was to go down the rabbit hole of frustration and upset, I recognized early on that there was no power in this. My day had begun in prayer before getting to the beach to do my workout so I was already feeling peaceful and joyful. I was not going to allow this situation to negatively impact my spirit. There is something to be said about peace and joy in Christ. It offers access to what may seem unavailable when life throws us those less than favorable circumstances. I knew that by keeping my eyes fixed on Christ, all would be well. We are encouraged to do this, as revealed through the following scripture from Isaiah:
“You keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”
~ Isaiah 26:3 NLT
No matter how frustrating a situation may be, we have the power to choose our perspective.
With God All Things Truly Are Possible
Over and over, we hear that all things are possible with God. Sometimes it may even sound a bit cliché. The Bible tells us:
“For nothing will be impossible with God.”
~ Luke 1:37 ESV
Yet despite its perceived overuse, there is so much truth to this Biblical truth. All things truly do become possible with God. The day in question, to have even had the opportunity for my key card to be retrieved by someone boating close enough to be in earshot of the park ranger’s attempts to attract his attention seemed miraculous. I had gone to that beach and done many workouts there before. Only a few times before had I seen a boat close to shore. But God! God would have it that the boat be exactly where it was and not only that, but that people would be on it. God truly is the ultimate miracle-worker and way-maker. I am reminded of the power of what the Lord can do through His own words to the prophet Jeremiah:
“I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”
~ Jeremiah 32:27 NIV
God Meets Us At Our Level of Faith
Sometimes the move of God that we would like to see is connected to our level of faith. Throughout scripture we see the power of how God moved as a function of the faith of people. When the woman with the issue of blood pursued healing, she believed that, if she could just touch the hem of Jesus’ garment, she would be healed. She didn’t need to touch Jesus. She just needed to touch the edge of His garment. She was determined to do it and she did. What was Jesus’ response? As a function of her faith, the following were Jesus’ words to her:
“He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.’”
~ Mark 5:34 NIV
Similarly, when Bartimaeus discovered that Jesus was passing by, he called out to Jesus for healing. Even after being rebuked by others for doing so, Bartimaeus continued to shout, believing in the healing touch of Jesus. The following scripture speaks to this:
“Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’”
~ Mark 10:48 NIV
When Jesus asked Bartimaeus what Bartimaeus wanted from Jesus, Bartimaeus shared that he wanted to see. It was his faith that would heal him, as God’s Word shows us:
“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.’”
~ Luke 18:42 NKJV
I wholeheartedly believe that my experience in being reunited with my key card was connected to my steadfast faith that God would assist me in my time of need. God did, meeting me at my level of faith.
We Are The Hands And Feet Of God
The experience with my lost key card was a powerful reminder that each day, we have the opportunity to be the hands and feet of God here on earth. We have the opportunity to be a blessing to others and be blessed by others. Through my circumstance, I had the opportunity to be blessed by Dave as well as the park rangers, who God used to reunite me with my key card. I too had the opportunity to be used by God to bless Dave and the park rangers by ministering to their hearts through prayer.
Throughout scripture, we are called to have a heart that is ready and willing to help others. The following scripture is an example that speaks to our call to serve others:
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
~ 1 Corinthians 15:58 NKJV
Jesus modeled service throughout scripture, teaching, preaching and performing miracles. Jesus also demonstrated a servant’s heart by washing his disciples’ feet during the Last Supper. In fact, Jesus shared these words with his disciples:
“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.”
~ John 13:14-15 ESV
Likewise, Jesus’ death and resurrection reflected His sacrifice on behalf of all of humanity and was His ultimate act of service.
I never realized that I would be able to glean so much from a drifting key card. God used that circumstance to call forth to my remembrance so much truth and revelation. Has God ever spoken powerfully to you through a unique situation that you experienced? If so, please share. I’d love to hear about it!