Sunday Brunch

I missed posting last Sunday. I didn't mean to, I guess my days got jumbled into one and I spaced it. Oops.

This Sunday I wanted to share an experience that I had a long time ago but will never forget.
It was back in the day when Warren worked at America West Airline. Around 1998 I think. We could fly for free anywhere A.W. flew and we took advantage of it. It was great since we lived so far from family and this made it possible to see them more often then not.

This particular incident happened when I had just one child-Conner. {And thought 1 child was a handful. grrr. If I could go back I'd bite my tongue. haha} He was not even one year yet, or right around there.

Conner and I flew back into Phoenix from a trip. It was dark already. Warren had parked our only car in the very full employee parking lot at the airport- he was at work. {He was going to get a ride home after work.}
I remember having my hands very full... literally. I had a diaper bag, purse, suitcase, baby, car seat and a jacket. I'd gotten on the parking lot bus okay but once I got off I had a hard time holding onto all these things but juggled them anyhow as I searched for our car. There weren't many people around at all. I felt all alone out there and my arms felt like lead. The parking lot lights weren't too helpful in lighting up the lot very well either.
I searched and searched. I felt defeated, tired and very grouchy. After 15 minutes or so I used the phone at the 'office' in the middle of the parking lot. {What looked like an 8x8 foot box. It was lite up and a mans head was bobbing around inside of it- answering an occasional phone call.}
I called Warren to have him describe again how to get to our car the best he could. {The joys of having NO cell phones. How did we manage?}

Still, no such luck for me.

I decided to alleviate some burden and put my suitcase, diaper bag and jacket down at the bus stop, since it was a landmark sort of speak.
Still walking....still looking...nothing.
About 45 minutes of all this hullabaloo I decided to ask the 'office' man if he could give us a ride on his golf cart to search for our car. He agreed and in a few moments I was relieved to have found the waiting car- that I had obviously overlooked many a time. Sheesh.
I was never so happy to see my car!

I got baby Conner buckled in and drove back to the bus stop to find my belongings were gone. Vanished. Poof. The grand disappearing act at its finest.

I burst into tears.

Of course, as a woman, I felt sad for the missing makeup, cute clothes and shoes...but most of all I was saddended because I had taken Conner's baby scrapbook with me on this trip. The thought of that being gone forever was just sickening. {I had personally scrapbooked it- one of my pride and joys back then.} I sat in the car, stunned, balling. I didn't know what else to do but pray. Through my shaky voice I pleaded with the Lord to help me find my stuff.
Maybe someone picked it up on accident? Maybe the lot attendant had moved it to the 'office'?
I didn't know for sure, but the thought that someone stole it was in the front of my mind.

I felt like I should drive around to see if it was somewhere in the parking lot. Or maybe 'catch someone'. So I did just that. I did several turnabouts and thought maybe I should go to the 'office' and ask if it was there. I felt the impression to go around one more time, but to turn left instead of right at one place.
I did so and to my amazement there was my luggage, in the MIDDLE of the road. Just sitting there. Like someone had picked it up, walked away and then sat it down because they decided it wasn't worth carrying the load. {That or they really did rummage through my stuff and saw baby clothes, women's clothes, makeup and a baby book and thought it was worthless.} But anyhow, I was AMAZED. I quickly got out of my car, grabbed it and before driving away, I uttered a thankful prayer. My heart was so happy.

This experience of feeling defeated, sad and having it turn around to be one of my most memorable spiritual experiences has become a treasure. Praying, listening to the Holy Spirit, and being blessed with my literal prayer answered was, and still is, such a testimony and faith building experience.