This past Saturday while I was preparing to go walk around a local farmer’s market, I went to open my wallet to get my bank card and I could not find it. As I looked further, not only was my bank card missing, but so was my driver’s license and a few other cards. I immediately began to look through my purse hoping those items had fallen loose into the bottom of my purse, but they were not there! I was still in my car so I started to reach around on the floor again hoping maybe those items were just on the floor of the car. They were not there! Thankfully, I was able to get what I needed by using another card that was still in my purse, but I was nervous about the items I could not find. I was hopeful that maybe they had fallen out at home, because I had not been anywhere in the past few days where I had need to reach for anything in my purse or wallet.

Well, when I arrived home and started to look around in what I thought were the obvious places, I did not find my missing items. At this point, I am starting to process where I may have lost them and who has found them and what are they going to do with my information! Will they try to use my info or will they make attempts to return to me as my address is on my driver’s license? I was able to go online and freeze my bank and credit cards. I was still hoping my lost items would be found. I called the grocery store where I had last used my bank card and the store I was in prior to realizing I did not have my card. They were not there! As for my driver’s license, I checked the replacement process and knew I would have to go into the DMV on Monday to get a replacement. Although I was frustrated over having somehow lost my bank card and driver’s license, what more could I do? The cards were lost and I would have to make the necessary calls and/or appointments to get these items replaced. However, I was still thinking where and how did I lose my cards and who has found them and what are they going to do! After searching around the house and my car again, I decided to pray over the whole situation and leave it in God’s hands so that I could relax.

Monday morning came and I was not looking forward to going to the DMV to get my license replaced. I told my daughter that I also could not find my earphones and that perhaps I lost them at the same time I lost my other items. A few minutes later she asks me did I recall dropping my purse the other day? My reply was no, at least I don’t recall dropping it or even reaching down to pick it up. I have a small canvas storage box I keep in the hallway right as we walk into the house from the garage. She happened to look down and notice what looked like my earphones and when she checked the box, the cards and my driver’s license were in the box! Needless to say I was relieved and thankful! I had been looking for something that was not really lost; it was just hidden from my sight.

I am sharing this to let you know there are times we think we may have lost out on opportunities, lost out on relationships, lost out on achieving goals or even lost ourselves somewhere along life’s journey, but it could be we have not lost these things at all. Some of the things we desire and need, are not always lost from within our reach, they are just hidden for a time in order for us to leave it in God’s hands. We have to learn to trust God in all things, great and small, and believe that He knows what is best for us and He knows when the timing is best for us. The very things we’ve lost could be waiting on us to find them through God and not through our own plans or through our own understanding. God tells us in Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all of your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. “ (NLT)

I want to encourage you to pray over that opportunity or the relationship you feel has been lost and leave it in God’s hands. He knows exactly when you thought you lost it and what it meant to you. We have to learn to trust His plan for us and allow Him to restore what has been lost. He will restore to us what has been lost according to His plans and purpose for our lives. When we leave our circumstances in God’s hands, we will be even more blessed than we could’ve hoped or imagined. In doing it His way, He gets the glory!

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Father, we thank You for being our LORD and King of Kings! We praise You for the great blessings You have already given us. We come before Your throne and ask for Your help in restoring what has been lost in our lives. Some feel they have lost out on opportunities, some have lost out on relationships and some have even lost their way. Father, we need You to help us get back what we can’t find on our own. We put everything in Your hands and ask for Your grace and Your guidance. Lead us back to those things that we’ve lost along the way according to Your will. Restore the hope, joy, peace and love to our hearts. Father, we ask You to restore those things that were hidden, lost or delayed in our circumstances, because we needed to learn to trust You more and leave it all in Your hands! We give You all the glory! In Jesus’ mighty name, amen!