THE KEEPER OF THE CLOCK

Fri, Apr 30, 2021

Adversity, Character, Christian Living, Faith, Holy Spirit, Prayer, Spiritual Growth, Written Articles

My husband, Lewis, is an excellent shopper when it comes to bargains. About 5 years ago in 1992 he purchased a very nice $150 gold Seiko watch for just $50. He really likes his watch. One feature he values is that it has an alarm, which he can use when he travels.

Several months ago the nice leather band on the watch broke. Several more months passed before he got around to shopping for a new band. During this time he really missed his watch and became eager to find a new band. One Tuesday morning he put the watch in his pocket as we headed out to have breakfast with some friends. He anticipated looking for the new band afterward.

Breakfast ended up being rather lengthy and because of some pressing business, he had to postpone the shopping trip. That afternoon we took our son Aaron to The American College for a campus visit and to inquire about admissions. Again, with the watch in hand, we intended to go to the mall near the college to look for the band.

However, Aaron had an appointment with our chiropractor and so there was no time to shop. Disappointed, we went straight from the college to the doctor’s office. From there we had to go straight home because Aaron had a college class to attend. The day came to a close and no new watch band.

A few days passed and Lewis began to think about the watch again. He looked on top of the dresser where he kept it and it was not there. He asked me if I had seen it and I hadn’t. Because of the urgency of the day’s business, he went on his way thinking he had put it somewhere else and didn’t really have time to look for it right then.

The next day the missing watch demanded more attention. I looked in all of his pant pockets, jacket pockets, shirt pockets, etc., and he did as well. No watch was found. This prompted a more diligent search.

I began to ask probing questions to ascertain the last time he remembered having the watch. Another search ensued. The furniture in the family room was inspected along with the car: in the seats, under the seats, the glove box, the trunk. And still, no watch was found.

Lewis decided the only thing left to do was pray. Not that we hadn’t prayed already, but this time he recalled how our son Andrew had gotten visions when he’s prayed before. That’s it, Lewis thought, “I’ll have Andrew pray and the Lord will show him where the watch is.”

So, at bedtime on Monday night Lewis went into Andrew’s room with his prayer request. Andrew prayed that God would show him or his dad where the watch was. He then proceeded to pray for some of his friends that had been on his heart. Lewis joined in thinking the watch request was just the Lord’s way of getting he and Andrew together to pray for his friends. But as they were praying, Lewis heard the Lord say, “The watch is under the couch.”

Thinking that a little strange, since we had already looked under the couch, Lewis decided to sleep on it. The next morning the Lord spoke to him again and said, “The watch is under the couch.” Nothing to do now, but go look again.

Lewis went to the family room and looked under the couch. Still, no watch was found. Then he remembered the couch in the office. So, he went in there to look under the couch, but there was no watch.

Then on Tuesday, one week since Lewis put the watch in his pocket on the way to breakfast with our friends, we began to think about the missing watch again. Where did we go the last time you remember having the watch? Breakfast at The Huddle House; no couch there.

But I called to inquire if they’ve located a watch anyway. No, they hadn’t. So, we had also gone to Dr. McEwen’s office. Although there was no couch there, I called anyway. But no watch had turned up there either.

Wait a minute! The American College — the admissions office — a COUCH! I race to the phone to call. The receptionist in the admissions office answered and I explained that my husband had lost his watch. I warned her that I had a strange request. Then I timidly asked if she would look under the couch when she had time to see if there was a watch there.

She quickly said she would look right now and put me on hold. She returned with a quizzical tone in her voice and said, “I found a gold Seiko watch, but it doesn’t have a band.” I could hardly restrain myself, but I managed to tell her that it was the one we were looking for and we’d be right over to get it.

I ran screaming to Lewis, “It’s there! They found the watch at the college admissions office.” It was under the couch!