First off even leaving for this trip was a miracle. In my journal I wrote, "We weren't sure our passports would come in time but they did! The we found out French Polynesia was under restrictions and our trip might not look like we thought. But those restrictions were lifted at the end of September! Covid isn't over, it is getting worse in a lot of ways so this was a huge blessing. My mom flew out to watch the kids before we even found out about our covid test results. If one of us tested positive (and there's been an "outbreak" in our neighborhood when people have been asymptomatic - sick but no symptoms) we would not have been able to go. Thankfully we found out the day before we flew out (while packing) that we both tested negative!"
We flew into San Francisco and spent a day there before heading to Tahiti. A miracle happened there. Right after we ate and waited for our Uber I started feeling stomach pains. We got back to our hotel and it was bad but slowly got a little better. When I stood up to get ready for bed it was BAD I could barely stand and think; and all I could do was cry from pain. My husband told me to lay down and breathe. We both prayed. I was able to fall asleep and the next morning I felt completely normal.
We were on our last full day on the island and we decided to kayak around the lagoon where our bungalow was. We kayaked all around the resort for a long time taking pictures and videos. We stopped at the other side of the resort to return our kayaks and get fruity drinks to take back to our room. When we got back to our bungalow I realized that my key fob, a waterproof bracelet that you wear constantly, was gone.
I couldn't imagine where the bracelet would be; and I was sure I had it on all day because I never took it off. We had just gone all over the resort kayaking in between numerous bungalows. The amount of ground we covered would've been impossible to retrace.
After searching my brain for possibilities, the next thought I had was to look back at our many pictures and videos. I needed to figure out when I last had it on, and figure out about when it went missing. So, that's what I did. As I looked at our pictures, I was able to realize that it must have fallen off when I took off my beach cover up as I was kayaking in the huge lagoon. Did it fall off in my kayak and slip out somewhere random? Was it wrapped up in my cover up? Was it at the bottom of the ocean somewhere? Did I flick it off and how far did it travel? So many questions.
I was able to figure out about where it might have fallen off. Even with this info, it was a long shot to find it. I would have to snorkel out farther than I felt capable and look through unimaginable amounts of coral, rocks, and plants at the bottom of the lagoon. We could touch the bottom of the lagoon in some areas, but not all of them. I had no idea what I was getting myself into but I knew I didn't want to lose that key. I know I could've just gotten a new one at the front desk, paid some lost key fee, and moved on; but for some reason I felt compelled to look.
I cannot express how many times I have said a prayer to find something small, something seemingly unimportant, yet important to me. I don't always get answers the way I want- but in this case, I was able to feel God's guiding hand direct me to the very spot that the key lay on the ocean floor. Better yet, it was in an open sandy spot.
When I saw it there I felt in my heart that it wasn't coincidence, it was a miracle. It was a lesson that even the smallest things matter to God. If a small key hiding at the bottom of the ocean can be found, imagine that person you are praying for. Imagine those huge soul crushing trials you pray to be delivered from. Do you think God knows and cares? I know that He does; and in His perfect time, the pleas you send up to Him will be answered according to His infinite wisdom and perfect love. Nothing is too small for God and nothing is too great for Him to handle, either. Keep praying.
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