I lost my phone on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving.

Holiday Parking

I normally park a distance from where I’m shopping in order to get some steps in. Because it was such a busy shopping day, I wanted a good parking spot; so I prayed and got the best spot! Stationing my car next to a handicapped parking was ideal. There was a woman ringing the Salvation Army bell directly outside Hobby Lobby. Before exiting the car,  I looked in my wallet for some loose change: two dimes and several pennies, that  was not enough money!

Hobby Lobby

Hobby Lobby is my go to place for inexpensive Christmas accessories, and I needed to purchase gift prizes for the Bingo game that we play every Thanksgiving. Of course I ended up with stupid, useless items that inevitably will be returned.

Salvation Army

Supporting the Salvation Army has always been part of the holiday season for me, so I felt a tug in my heart to give. Searching deep in every compartment of my handbag, I found a five-dollar bill. I got out of my vehicle and donated the money. Gathering all the stuff that I pulled out of my purse, I quickly shoved everything back into my handbag. I was almost home when I discovered that my phone was missing! “No phone detected,” read  the screen in my car!

Back to Hobby Lobby

Through so many mishaps and two trips back to Hobby Lobby, Sonja found my phone! “Mom, it’s in the parking lot.” Upon returning, a white car was parked where I had originally parked. Needless to say, I was not having a good  day. It had been several days since I had washed my hair, and I was not dressed for anything but cleaning the house. By this time I had gone home and got Mike’s phone. I made several attempts to look under the parked car, but I did not want to get on my hands and knees. I approached a young couple; the man had a cross tatted on his neck. “Excuse me, can you help me?” They both ignored my plea. Who could blame them? I looked like a homeless pan handler. “Please, can you help me, I’ve lost my phone?” They both looked at the phone I held  in my hands, “No, this is my husband’s phone; mine is under this car.” The man agreed to look under the car but to no avail.  There was no phone underneath the car.

Next Step

Mikos called me and told me that the phone was in the parking lot, but it wasn’t. So I drove to Sonja’s. “Mom, what is your Apple ID?” I did have it but it, was stored  in my phone. Sonja was busy baking pies for Thanksgiving, and without the ID she could not help. “You’re going to have to go to the Apple Store to get this sorted out! Good luck with that on Black Friday!” Russ thoughtfully reported the lost phone to the Anaheim Police Department in case it was turned in. By this time my phone had stopped pinging; it was either run over or picked up to be sold on the black market.

The Landline

I begged Mike not to get rid of the landline; thank God we kept it, because this was our means of communication.  Mike’s and Sonja’s cell and Helen’s landline are the only numbers I have memorized. I used Mike’s cell phone to call my sisters because I knew that on Thanksgiving Day I was going to be without a phone.

Mike To The Rescue

In my dreams and in real life Mike always comes to the rescue. We got up early Friday and headed to the Brea Mall. Again I silently prayed for a parking spot and we quickly found one. Yes, the line was out the door at the Apple Store, but within an hour I had my new phone. One problem: without an Apple ID I could only receive calls.

Russ was at our house hanging our Christmas lights, so he offered to help me. Nothing was working! I received a message from iforgot.apple.com, informing me  that it would take 12 days to get it restored! When I get negative messages like this, I do not receive them! I prayed.

Keaton

I called my friend Helen and shared the dismal news. She suggested that I contact Keaton. “He might know your Apple ID,”  she added. Keaton is the young man who  fixes all my Blog issues. After an hour of research and with a lot of patience, Keaton was able to reset the Apple ID. Without a doubt he is a genius.

Moral Of  The Story

There is a moral to this story. Do not go shopping for things you do not need. Be careful of your surroundings, and always keep your phone inside your handbag. I noticed my phone was half way out of my purse when I was shopping. Be organized and, if you’re willing to support the Salvation Army, have  the money in your hand. You can live without a phone for a few days; it’s not the end of the world.  Also make sure your Apple ID is not stored in your phone. Lastly, trust that God will always get you through these situations.

The Lord allows us to go through these trials to slow us down. Earlier this month I was in a fender bender accident. After the investigation, it was concluded that it was my fault. I was impatient, and that caused the accident. I feel that this November  I’ve become a liability; first the car, and now the phone. I do need to slow down. Please pray for me.

Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving ; the only downside was that I could not take pictures using my phone,  nor could I send out text messages wishing others a Happy Thanksgiving. We played bingo, but  the winning prizes from Hobby Lobby were left behind.

My Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, teach us to be good stewards of our money. Everything we have is because You have bestowed and entrusted us with these gifts. May this Advent season bring us closer to You.  May every day be a day of Thanksgiving. Amen.