Dearest Readers:
Just when I think people are not honest or trustworthy, God gives me an angel. As all of you, my closest friends, know – since October 3, 2015 I have been stressed. Beginning with the rain, flooding issues that occurred in Charleston during the “Hundred Year rains.” I believe fighting those battles, at times, losing — thanks to a certain insurance company that refused to cover the damage. Regardless, after fighting those battles and finding my own way to get the damages repaired, I found myself overly temperamental. I’ve expressed numerous prayers to God, asking me how to calm down. How to cope. Just when I thought these prayers were answered, Phil has reverse shoulder replacement on May 31. Recovering at home, he started fainting…and FAINTING AND FAINTING…Rushed to ER — seven times. He endured three surgeries on that blasted shoulder and now he appears to be getting better. During one of the fainting episodes, he broke his left ankle. I started questioning — can things get ANY WORSE?
I cannot remember the last time I’ve written. This might be a first for me, today. People keep asking me “How are you coping?” They haven’t seen the rages I have allowed myself to get into. It’s no wonder my blood pressure is getting higher. As for me, I still feel so stressed and temperamental that I lose myself. Some days are meltdown days. During the last meltdown, I kneeled and prayed . I asked God if He was still there. The next morning, I had another talk with God, telling Him I would change my ways and stop losing my temper and I would stop cursing.
Today, was I EVER put to the test. My grandmother told me as a child that God would test me. Believe me, she was correct! Attempting to vacuum this morning, I noticed my vacuum wasn’t working properly. Placing it in the car, Phil and I went to Oreck. Of course, my vacuum is the type where they will have to order the part. It could be two weeks BEFORE it will be repaired. GREAT!
Suppose I’ll research cheap vacuums now – just to have a standby on hand.
After leaving Oreck in North Charleston, I drove to Sam’s Club to get gas and a few incidentals at the store. Preoccupied, I rushed to put everything inside the car, before my sweet husband attempted to. He is trying to help me more now, and each time he does, I reprimand him to STOP, like a mother would stop a child. He still must wear that sling. I don’t want him to hurt himself again!
So here I am, stuffing things inside the car, rushing to put the shopping cart up. Rushing back to my car…not looking at where my hand bag is.
Arriving home, you guessed it! No handbag within site. I panic.
Like all women, I have cards inside my bag. I tell Phil I have to rush to Sam’s — in this rush hour traffic — to find my handbag.
Phil doesn’t shout at me. He doesn’t call me ‘stupid’ like my mother would…and we do not argue.
Yes, God is testing me!
Surprisingly, for once the rush hour traffic is not congested. Within 30 minutes I arrive at Sam’s Club. We look at all the shopping carts still parked in the shopping cart area. No handbag.
I rush inside Sam’s. Of course I am stopped at the entrance. I explain to the greeter that I was there about 30 minutes ago and left my handbag. She smiles. “I remember you,” she said. Trust me, I’m usually remembered wherever I go. I rush over to the customer service area. Anticipation has me so nervous, I can hardly say what I need to say.
The customer service rep looks at me. “Hi,” I say. Trying desperately not to cry. I cry when I am overly stressed. I introduce myself and I ask if they have a lost and found, or has anyone turned in a handbag about 30 minutes ago.
She repeats my name, asking what color my handbag was. I answer her question. She looks underneath, and there is a handbag!
“We called your phone number. Someone found it outside in the shopping carts.”
I burst into tears, hugged her and called my husband’s name. He was looking at the shopping carts parked inside the building.
I offered her a gratuity. She refused.
Isn’t it wonderful that someone outside in the parking lot saw my handbag and returned it to the store! Untouched!
God had a guardian angel watching over me today while He tested me to see if I would explode, and I didn’t. While driving, I silently prayed that God would let someone who believed in morals, values and honesty find my handbag.
Today, I passed the test. I thanked God for keeping me calm and I said a loud thank you for letting my handbag find its way back to me.
Some would say it is the Southern way in the South. After all, Charleston, SC is the number one city in the world this year.
Why wouldn’t it be? We have good people living here. Trustworthy people visit here, and there are People who you trust. People who go the extra mile to protect a total stranger’s handbag. Everything was still in tact. Nothing was taken.
Thank you, to an angelic total stranger. I will say prayers for you. How I wish I could thank you personally. No name was given to the customer service rep. I will make certain I pay it forward now when I am out…Just like someone paid it forward for me today!
This just proves to me — God is guarding me — just like He did years ago, when I was hit by a car and should’ve been killed. God’s angels held me and placed me on the concrete curb. I haven’t a clue what happened on that day, with exception of the thrust of the hood of the car hitting me — knocking the wind out of me.
Thank you, God! You guided and protected me again today!
Barbie Perkins-Cooper, Author 
you are so lucky. And yes there are honest people out there. Happened to me several years ago. Same thing, except person took it home and called me. Everything in tact. And yes she would take no reward either. It brings faith back that honest people are there.
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