The Lost Wallet

I’m feeling pretty miserable right now as I push on the pedals of my bicycle against the long steady hill out of Westport, Ireland. We left Ballina on September 3rd and began following a mapped tourist route called the Wild Atlantic Way. We found this trail to be aptly named because the west coast is known for being the most rural part of Ireland. The views are stunningly beautiful with rugged cliffs, mountains, and luscious green fields. This normally would be an enjoyable ride for us with few concerns. However, this time our trip has taken an unexpected turn. We have absolutely no money.

Never before have I been so tested in my faith than to venture out into the wilderness of a foreign country and rely solely on God’s promise for provision. It has been a long ten days. The fear and uncertainty of not knowing where we would sleep or when we would eat has been so taxing on my mind. As I climb up this grueling hill, I feel so aware of my uncomfortable surroundings. My body is exhausted from the constant exposure to the cold, wind, and rain. My clothes feel uncomfortable from not having showered or done laundry. My ears ring from the traffic and rushing wind. We have only enough food in our bags for today’s lunch. It will take a miracle if we’re going to get any dinner tonight. My mind feels so stretched. I want to go home. What was I doing out here in rural Ireland? Why was I allowing myself to suffer like this when I had a good family, job, and friends back home? Why was I sleeping in a cold tent when I had a warm bed and all the comforts of home back in Canada? As I rustle with these thoughts something draws my attention. I cycle past a brown leather wallet lying in the middle of the road.

“Matt stop!” I call out to him as I hit the brakes. I rest my bicycle on the grass by the side of the road. I have to wait patiently for the traffic to subside before making a quick dash to retrieve the wallet. Once Matt sees what I’m doing he also gets off his bicycle and together we walk along the shoulder and gather all the cards and money that we can find scattered across the highway. In the end we find a wallet with a driver’s license, bank card, visa, and fifteen euro. I’m so excited when I see that money.

What are the chances that we would come across money right now? Could this be God’s way of providing for us? But wait, the wallet belongs to someone… so we can’t touch the money yet.

“It looks like the wallet belongs to Jean from France,” Matt observes as he looks at the driver’s license.

“Is there a phone number?” I ask.

We find a phone number on a separate ID card. Matt takes out his cell phone to dial.

“You’re going to call him in the middle of the highway?” I ask. “We don’t have the money for roaming! Besides, if Jean answers the call you won’t be able to tell him where his wallet is.”

Matt answers me sharply.

“Amy, if this were my wallet I would want the person to contact me immediately. What if he has to catch a flight and needs his identification cards?”

Matt’s not in the best mood so I let him make the phone call. There’s no answer. It sounds like the number is either out of service, or our phone plan won’t complete the call. Before I can stop myself my imagination begins to run wild.

Maybe we won’t get a hold of the owner and we can keep the money! We can use it to by groceries.

We decide to put the wallet into our front bag and continue to cycle. Matt is so exhausted that he’s peddling at half his normal pace. Finally, we reach a gas station. As we park our bicycles, I begin unpacking the stove and food so that I can make lunch. All that remains of our groceries is a carton of six eggs and three slices of bread. As I begin to turn on the stove and boil the water Matt speaks up.

“I’m going to give the wallet to the gas station attendants.”

“Wait, why?” I ask with surprise.

“Because it’s the right thing to do,” Matt insists with curious eyes. “Why do you want to keep the wallet?”

“I don’t know,” I say hesitantly. “Finders keepers?”

Matt’s next words burn me as if I had touched the hot stove.

“Amy, that’s stealing! This money belongs to someone and it’s not yours to spend,” he says with a harsh tone.

He is clearly tired and frustrated, but I still feel hurt and offended by his statement. I look down and stay silent. Deep down I know that he’s right. Matt leaves me alone with the boiling pot of water and walks into the gas station. He doesn’t come out for a long time. I open our bag to remove the carton of eggs. I’m surprised when I touch the carton and find that it’s wet and slimy.

Oh gross…

I open the carton and discover that two of the eggs have been crushed. My heart sinks. I’m so disappointed that I want to cry. Why is this day so challenging? As I drop the last four eggs into the boiling water and watch them cook, a bible verse comes to my mind.

The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD tries the hearts. (Proverbs 17:3)

 

Suddenly, I understand my situation with new eyes. This wallet is not a miracle of provision. God is currently refining me and testing my heart. He’s looking for a heart of righteousness. Now I can see what Matt has been trying to do this entire time. He’s been trying to do the right thing. As I turn off the stove and scoop up the eggs, I decide to put my physical needs aside and focus on the task at hand. What was the right thing to do?

Matt returns from the gas station and his face immediately lights up when he sees the hot food. I fill his mug with tea and he gives me a kiss. These simple acts of kindness have warmed our hands and our hearts. We sit down together and eat our food while it’s still hot. After Matt has finished eating, I open up the conversation.

“Do you feel better now?” I ask him.

“I do,” he answers with some relief. “Thanks for making the food. I’m sorry I was so short with you earlier. I’m just really stressed and tired right now.”

“I know. I feel the same,” I say. “What did you do with the wallet?”

“Actually, I looked through its contents again and I found an email address. So I sent Jean a message. Afterwards, I handed the wallet over to the staff at the gas station. They didn’t seem very interested in helping out, but at least it’s out of our hands now.”

“Wait, then why did you give them the wallet?” I ask with confusion.

“Because it’s the right thing to do Amy.” Matt replies sternly. He’s getting irritated again.

“But, you just sent an email to Jean. What if he contacts you back?” I question. “You won’t have the wallet anymore to help him.”

“You just want to hold onto the wallet because you’re hoping to get the money or some kind of reward,” he accuses me. His words are partly true, but it still frustrates me. Why couldn’t he see that I was trying to ignore that impulse and do the right thing?

“Well, you’re just trying to get rid of the wallet because you don’t want to deal with the problem and shoulder the responsibility,” I spit back. My words silence him and his eyes shift away. His next words are weary. 

“You’re right,” he admits. “I’m too tired to deal with this situation rashly. I’m afraid that if I hold onto the money, I’m going to spend it at the McDonald’s in the next town.”

We both take a deep breath as we accept and understand each other’s weaknesses. Now we are free to think clearly and solve the problem.

“As our friend Tracy would say, ‘There’s always a good, better, and best way to deal with a situation. We want to strive to do what is best’,” I say.

“A good way to solve this problem would be to give the wallet to the gas station attendants and let them deal with the situation,” Matt says. “The problem is that we won’t have any guarantee that the wallet will make it back to its owner without theft or damage.”

“I better way of approaching this situation would be to exercise some self-control,” I suggest. “By not touching the money, contacting Jean, and delivering the wallet to him.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” says Matt. “But what if we can’t get ahold of him.”

“Well, we can cross that bridge when we get to it,” I say with a sigh. “But I can imagine that dropping off the wallet at the Castlebar Police Department will be a better decision then leaving it at some random gas station between towns.”

Matt and I are finally in agreement. Matt retrieves the wallet from the gas station and I put it safely into my purse.

“I’ll hold onto the wallet so that you don’t get tempted at the McDonald’s,” I say.

“That would be wise,” says Matt. “Let’s work together.”

Fortunately, Matt and I are able to complete the ride and safely arrive at the McDonald’s in Castlebar without spending the contents in the wallet. In addition, our circumstances begin to change. We meet some friends living in Castlebar named Luciano and Tasi. They invite us to stay at their place for the next few days. We are treated with good company, a hot shower, a warm meal, and some clean clothes. Finally, I’m able rest my body and mind. During our stay we receive a response from Jean concerning his wallet. He promptly asks us to use the fifteen euro to send his wallet back to France by mail. Then he ends his message with a quick thank you. I don’t feel troubled by his response or how the situation has played out. Now that I’m well fed and rested I can think rationally. I don’t need fifteen euros or a reward for doing the right thing. God is my provider and He is faithful to take care of my needs. Besides, the Lord blesses the righteous. I would rather have His blessing for doing what’s right, then to receive a small earthly reward. 

The following day Matt goes to the post office to send the wallet back to France. He comes back with an interesting story.

“I couldn’t figure out how to write the address down on the parcel, so I had to ask the woman at the counter for help,” he says. “She was so impressed to see that we were doing a good deed that she not only sent the package for free, but she even gave me a little gift.”

Matt opens his hand to reveal a small piece of paper.

“What’s that?” I ask.

“It’s a lottery ticket,” he says with a chuckle. “She told me to check the numbers tomorrow.”

“Wow, do you think we’re going to win the lottery?” I ask with wonder.

“I don’t know. But if we’re living for Jesus, then we’ve already won the lottery.”

For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield. (Psalms 5:12)

 

It seems as if God’s blessing and favor begins to pursue us after the wallet has been successfully sent. As we continue our travels we are blessed with finances. Someone gives us twenty euros, then one hundred euros. A few days later Storm Ali sweeps across Ireland. It’s winds reach 145 km/hr and some people are killed by falling trees and debris. Matt and I would have been trapped in our tent during this storm. However, we are safe and sheltered in a warm home belonging to Michael and Geraldine Burke. We are blessed and protected. As we sit by the fire and wait out the storm, we receive a message from a good friend. We haven’t spoken to this person in over six months. However, she felt it on her heart to give us a financial gift of one thousand dollars. Matt and I are overjoyed! We really did win the lottery! God’s favor and blessing covers us in all areas of our lives. It has been three weeks since these events took place. Since then Matt and I haven’t needed to sleep outside in the cold, and for the entire month of September, we haven’t missed a single meal. That’s amazing provision! 

(Luciano, Tasi, and Samuel)

(Micheal and Geraldine with friends)