WRITE 2 THE HEART
             Stories that are aimed "Write 2 the Heart"
                           April 20, 2004
         Cheryl Speir, Editor, moderator@write2theheart.com.


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     Have you ever lost something of value? Then you understand
the sinking, panicky feeling that can come over you. What happens
when you give the lost item to God? Lyn writes of her experience
doing just that.


                           The MasterCard
                           By Lyn Chaffart
 

     The clerk at the checkout stand smiled broadly, her voice a bit
too cheerful:  "That will be $145.39!"

     I forced myself to smile back.  After all, it wasn't her fault that
my grocery bill seemed to go up every week, no matter how much
skimping I did!  I reached in my pocket for my MasterCard. Such
a bill hurts less when you use plastic! 

     Then my forced smile froze. My credit card wasn't in my
pocket!  In desperation I reached for a different pocket.  Empty.
Frantic now, I began slapping my coat, my pants, my shirt . . . I
could feel the eyes of the sales clerk on me and I stretched my
frozen smile a little wider: "I-I can't seem to find my credit card!" 

     A look of genuine concern came over her as she stared at the
mountain of groceries. "Maybe you left it in the car," she
suggested. "You may leave your order here if you would like to go
out and take a look!" 

     I followed her gaze to the pile of food waiting to be bagged,
then I nodded. What choice did I have? 

     I already knew the card wasn't in my van. I distinctly
remembered putting it in my pocket before entering the store.  But
I searched the vehicle anyway, and when I found the piece of paper
and pencil my 11 year-old had given me when I dropped him off at
his piano lessons, I immediately knew what had happened to my
card . . .

     His current math lessons focused on comparative shopping, and
he had asked me to write down some products for him to compare. 
Naturally, I had forgotten all about it until I had nearly finished,
and when I remembered, I hadn't run back to the car for the paper
and pencil.  Instead, I had searched my pockets until I found a pen-
in the same pocket as my MasterCard! The card must have fallen
out when I retrieved the pen!  The sick feeling that had risen in the
pit of my stomach at the checkout stand intensified. I had lost my
credit card in one of the aisles of the store!

     In desperation, I began retracing my steps, but each vacant aisle
further heightened my panic. I just knew that someone dishonest
had picked up my credit card!  But even more urgent at the
moment was the question of how I would pay for those groceries! 

     All this time, the last line of a song was repeating itself in my
mind: Here in the power of Christ I stand! This same song had
been going around and around in my head throughout the entire
store. It had nearly driven me crazy, but now I realized that God
must have been preparing me for some kind of a trial, preparing
me to stand firm on His promises, despite the circumstances.

     But how could I stand in His power? I mean, this was my
MasterCard!  It was my family who needed those groceries that I
now couldn't pay for! 

     Nevertheless, God was persistent: "Here in the power of Christ
I stand!"

     I gave in.  Right there in the middle of the store. I gave him my
MasterCard.  I gave Him all the consequences of it being lost. I
gave Him the problem of how to pay for my groceries if the card
wasn't found.  I even gave Him the potential nightmare of what
could happen if the card fell into the wrong hands.  I was
immediately filled with peace and clarity of thought.  I knew what
I had to do. I had to go back to the checkout stand and tell the
clerk that I had lost my card.

     A "closed" sign was now poised on the conveyor belt and the
poor clerk's smile had become strained as she and another clerk
rifled through my mountain of purchases. Not surprisingly, she
was genuinely glad to see me!  When I admitted that my
MasterCard was gone, the second clerk went to the office to check
if someone had found it. When she returned, my card was in her
hand.  It had just been turned in.

     I was starting to breathe a prayer of thanksgiving when she said,
"Ma'am, I'm afraid it's been canceled."

     "Ca-canceled?" I stammered. "What-what do you mean,
cancelled?" 

     "It's store policy, Ma'am," she explained.  "We always call in
lost credit cards." 

     I bit my lower lip. Were the circumstances different, I would
heartily approve of this policy.

     "Let's try it anyway," she suggested. "Maybe it hasn't gone
through yet!"

     But sure enough, the interaction was not approved.  Now
what???  I couldn't believe that God would have returned my
MasterCard only for me to not be able to use it to pay for my
groceries. You handle this one, too! I breathed. 

     "Let me call the office and see if we can do anything,"
suggested the clerk.

     In a few moments, I was speaking to the credit card company
on the office phone. They released the hold on my card, and I was
able to pay for my groceries.  Another answered prayer.

     But all of this took time.  When I glanced at my watch, it was
already time for me to pick up my kids from their piano lessons.
Just as I was tempted to worry, however, the line of the song re-
echoed through my mind: Here in the power of Christ I stand!

     Though I arrived at the piano teacher's house 10 minutes late,
she was just finishing up my son's lesson!

     Here in the power of Christ I stand!


Lyn Chaffart
Lyn @ Answers2Prayer.org


     A part-time Speech Pathologist, Lyn is also a homeschooling
mom who writes devotionals and short stories on the side.  She
serves as the director of mini-sermons for Answers2Prayer
Ministries (www.Answers2Prayer.org) and is webmaster for
Scriptural Nuggets www.sermonillustrator.org/minisermons/.
Besides writing for Answers2Prayer, Lyn has also written
devotionals and stories for Eternal Link, Write2theHeart, the Sand
Dollar, Gospelines, Moments of Reflection, and 2theHeart.   

     You are encouraged to write to the authors to let them know
what you think of their story. Have a comment on today's story?
Send it to: moderator@write2theheart.com.


     Write 2 the Heart now has an affiliate program with Cognigen.
They have several long distance plans to chose from; I personally
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                     Letters From Our Readers

     I have never heard of anyone keeping a rabbit for a pet outside
of a cage! I could just imagine that bunny digging holes and hiding
in them. What a great story and so informative.
Jan



     I greatly enjoyed the rabbit story. I love my pets and enjoy
reading about other peoples pets. Almost made me want to go out
and get a rabbit…almost.
Stacey



                     Military Prayer Reminder
    
     As you read over this list of names, please take a moment to
pray for these young people and their families:
 
Chris Speir                   
Tim Speir                     
Alan                              
Thaddeaus
Todd Holland
Graham
William
Julie Sagel
Jessie
Marshal Thompson
Jason
Eric Hernandez
Kristin Danielson
Ken Prieur
Ryan
Jonathan P. Wells
Larry Miele
Daniel
Amy
John
Joanne
Gary Boardwine
Josh
 
     Please continue to pray for our country, our leaders, and
our troops at this time. If you have loved ones in the military,
or who are being called to go overseas, send their names
(first and last or first only) to be included in our prayer
reminder.


                           Cheryl’s Corner

     David’s nephew and his wife just had a baby boy. I haven’t
seen him yet, but I have heard from several sources that baby Luke
is one of the most beautiful babies in the world. Even people who
have children of their own are saying so. I can’t wait to see this
little boy. Does this make me a grand-aunt or a great-aunt?
Cheryl


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Nothing may be reproduced or published without
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