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A Priceless Find
You never know what you might discover at a rummage sale…
WEB EXCLUSIVE
I’ve always enjoyed rummage sales, antique shops, flea markets, and garage sales. Whenever I go to one, my eyes inevitably drift over to the jewelry. Not because I need any fancy things, but because I’m “looking” for a bracelet that had been given to me by my parents when I was a young lady. It was a beautiful gold link bracelet with delicately carved pink flowers. For years, I wore it for dressy occasions—before I lost it. Of course, I never saw anything that quite compared, but I could hope, couldn’t I?
Recently, my husband Roger and I were on vacation in Walla Walla, Washington, visiting our alma mater, Whitman College. We had decided to attend one of two churches in town, depending on what time we got up. Since we arose early, we walked to the church with the earlier service.
Near the end, a member of the congregation got up to make the weekly announcements. “Don’t forget about the church rummage sale this Wednesday,” she said.
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That’s too bad, I thought. We were leaving town on Wednesday. Even so, something made me call up the church office that Monday. “What time does the rummage sale start?” I asked.
“8:00 a.m.,” the woman at the office said.
Perfect! We could go and still depart town fairly early.
That Wednesday, we entered the large room where the sale was being held. There was a vast array of goods laid out on tables: old clothes, books, and various household items. Only one of the tables was attended by a seller—the jewelry table. But when I looked it over, I saw nothing but earrings. Oh well, I thought.
On our way out, I passed the table again. This time, when the attendant caught me looking, she extended her hand and pointed to one of the display boxes, without saying a word.
I looked to see what she was pointing at. It was a bracelet I hadn’t noticed at first glance. I took it in my hands, and my eyes went wide.
It didn’t compare to my lost bracelet. It was the same—or an exact replica. The gold links, the delicate pink flowers, exactly as I remembered them.
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Your Comments
if something is lost or stolen we can find peace in praying lord let it be a blessing to someone and may it bring them to Jesus and that will give us peace. love the story of the bracelet for i had one like it or similar. girl asked to borrow it and she never returned it saying she lost it which was not true; i have prayed many times for her to be convicted over keeping it in faith it cause her to repent and find Jesus....
It meant so much to my mother to find this bracelet. I'm so glad she did. Her parents have been very important to our family and my mother and father are equally vital. Thanks for sharing your story, Mommy. Love, Kay.
This verse has always been somehow both comforting and stabilizing whenever something I value has been lost, broken or stolen.
Lay not up for yourselves treasures on Earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where moth and rust do not corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart shall be, also.
As a child and young person, I grew up travelling with my missionary parents (and four siblings); we belonged to a non-profit organization, so we never had any money, and we never could take more than the basic essentials with us when we moved.
Mom had two old metal trunks in which she kept our homeschool stuff, books, and toys, and we were usually each allowed one suitcase apiece for clothes and personal belongings--that's it.
Once, after a stay of four years in Iguacu (Southern Brazil), we had to leave behind boxes and boxes containing all the things we had accumulated during our stay, including all of our treasured stuffed animals (so important to us kids), and an entire library of books (so dear to my heart, even to this day).
Eventually all five kids went abroad on their own, now the seven of us are in six different countries around the globe, connected only by love and the internet. Earthly treasures are still hard to come by, but we've got them stashed away in a better place, and when our turn comes, I don't think we'll have cause for disappointment. Love you guys!
Loved your story. I also had a ring my grand father gave me when I was little. I was born in Alexandria Egypt and my grand father had an antique store. I wore my ring all the time. My family moved to the States and of course I kept on wearing my ring through my years of high school and college.
I got engaged and went into Tiffany in N.Y. to look at rings. There they saw my ring - my small scarab ring which my grand father gave me years before and suggested that I have it evaluated by the Metropolitan Museum. They said it might be worth a lot of money. I was excited but I was going on holiday the next day to Greece so I didn't take it to the Museum and after all these years I lost my ring in Greece. I am living in Greece now and I always think of my ring whenever I see an antique store or ramage sale. But not luck yet. You see my "ring" does not look special a scarab is after all only a beetle. In ancient Egypt it was a god with special powers. Well I pray that one day I will find my ring if God wants me to
Hi Enola,
Nice to see your comment. I am a big fan of guideposts, have been reading it without fail since 84. It was good to see the quote,"dane dane par likha hai khane wale ka naam". Rita Fernandez (Pune, India)
As soon as I saw the picture of the bracelet I knew I had to read the story. I have a bracelet almost like this one. I'm 71 and I got it when I was about 20 years old. It has discolored a bit, but it's still "wearable". I'm happy for the lady who found the bracelet a rummage sale.
Carolyn,
What a beautiful way for your guardian angels to bring your bracelet back to you. Also, do not underestimate the hand your parents had in returning their gift to you. God works in such mysterious way. That bracelet was meant for you and it was going to come to you no matter what.
Let me share with you my own story of how I got the beautiful home in which I now reside. My family and I moved to Florida in 2007 after living in New York for 14 years. My husband always wanted to live in Parkland a beautiful city in Broward County. Heron Bay is a beautiful community in Parkland and so that's where we started house hunting. We looked at one of the houses on sale. We fell in love with it. The house was move in ready, fabulous fixtures, kitchen updates etc. We didn't have to change a bulb. When I entered the house, I felt so good...like I belonged. My husband absolutely loved it. We put in a bid for it... there were several other parties interested in it as well. Our bid was rejected. The house went to another party. Since there was another house in the same community also available, we had a look at that house as well. It was nothing compared to our 'choice' house. We put in a bid anyway. Again our bid got rejected as being too low. Talk about disappointment. My husband however, never stopped looking at Parkland properties and so one day after work he was back on real estate websites and what do you think he saw? Our 'choice' house was on the market again. Apparently, the deal with the 'accepted' party had fallen through. Very quickly we got our paperwork together, spoke to the home owner and prepared to make our bid. Again, there were 6 other parties bidding against us. All of us were willing to give the owner her asking price. Long story short, we got the house. I always believed that the house had our names on the contract and came to us when the Lord decided it ws going to be ours. We have a great community, wonderful neighbor and a great school district just to name a few blessings.
This is only the second house where I have had an emotional connection. The other being the home in which I grew up in
What is meant for us will come to us, however long it takes. In Hindi (an Indian language) there is a saying. This is the english transalation: On each grain of rice is written the reciever's name. Meaning, if something has your name on it, rest assured, it will never go to another.
Best wishes, God Bless and have a very happy thanksgiving.
Enola
Hi Enola
I loved your story and was touched by your quote from the Indian language, because I know it well. It was my dad's favorite quote and he really believed it and so do I. How true it is. God has control of it all and has marked our name on each thing He wants us to have. So we can wait in joyful hope trusting in Him everyday, no worries :-)
God Bless You and Happy Thanksgiving !
Oh that we might seek and find precious truth in the same way and bind it around our hearts as a treasure most precious...Jesus is the Truth.
She was so lucky to find her bracelet. An Angel guided her to it. What a Beautiful story. Thank you for sharing. Judy
GOD'S WONDERFUL WAY OF REACHING US ONCE AGAIN.
WHAT A LOVELY STORY. MAY YOU ENJOY YOUR BEAUTIFUL BRACELET AND WEAR IT IN GOOD HEALTH. THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR UPLIFTING STORY.
wonderful..it reminds me when someone enter my house and stole so much but what i fell bad is they stole my graduation ring my parents had given me in d inside was engraved my name rita reyna its been more than 10 yrs to this point i havent found it
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