A few weeks back, my daughter and son-in-law celebrated their first-year wedding anniversary by taking a trip to southern Florida. They had an uninterrupted stretch of rest and relaxation. Well, minus one exception.
Prior to an outing on the beach, Courtney was asked by her husband to take off the diamond bracelet she had received as a gift. I love my little girl but follow through is not one of her stronger suits. Recognizing her memory lapse, Courtney placed the jewelry in her purse. Unfortunately, the purse tipped over and spilled its contents onto the sand.
Upon returning to the hotel room, Courtney discovered that the bracelet was missing. She cried. Her husband stewed. It was a long night.
The following morning, my daughter called her mother. I know this because I could hear the phone conversation from the other side of the house. Courtney was an emotional basket case. My wife is most often our daughter’s sounding board. Cathy intervened by saying, “Honey, I am going to pray that you find your diamond bracelet. I suggest you do the same”.
So, the young woman walked back to the very location whereupon she had spilled her purse. Within moments, Courtney stepped onto an object and looked down at her feet. The diamond bracelet was found just below the surface of the sand. The child then called her mother, crying, once again. Only this time her eyes were filled with tears of joy as she shouted, “Mommy, we have an amazing God!”
John’s gospel reports of seven different miracles Jesus performed during his three-year ministry throughout Israel. John characterized each of these wonders as a sign of God’s presence and power. The intent of the seven signs was to elicit a response of belief in the minds and hearts of those who witness these amazing phenomena.
John claims that Jesus performed additional miracles beyond the signs recorded in the fourth gospel. I believe the case of my daughter’s missing bracelet is yet another reminder that God is still present and is demonstrating His life-giving power to those who witness such miracles to this day.
Some may argue that my wife’s prayer when conjoined with the discovery of the lost jewelry was nothing more than a coincidence. However, the twentieth-century Anglican priest, William Temple, once said: “When I pray, coincidences happen, and when I don’t, they don’t.”
However you wish to characterize the bracelet’s discovery, one thing cannot be disputed. My daughter’s faith in the God who created her has been strengthened. So, too, has mine. Believe it or not.