Money Trouble—A True Story!

Overjoyed with preparations needed to invite my soon-to-be baby girl into this world, I headed for my favorite store to register for all the pink and purple frilly items available. However, I had to complete one mission before registering. My husband was still finishing up his college degree, and needed me to drop off his tuition payment at the college office before I went on my most-wanted baby items scavenger hunt. Simple enough, right? Unfortunately, absolutely not—at least in my world.

“Alright. Here's the tuition money for this month. Make sure you give it to Holly at the college office,” my husband hurriedly informed me as he went out the door to work.

“Don't worry, honey. I'll get it done on the way to the store!” I replied reassuringly and kissed him goodbye.

After lunch, I buckled my adorable toddler Joshua snugly into his car seat. We headed for the college office, just as my husband instructed.

I unbuckled Joshua, threw him on my hip, and trudged up the stairs to the cash office.

“Hi, Nick!” I said as I greeted the blond-haired, smiling Dean of Students.

“Hi, Alison. What do you need today?” Nick asked.

“Oh, I just need to pay Adam's tuition for the month.”

“Oh, okay. But, Holly isn't here. She is on her lunch break. Come back in about an hour and she can get you squared away.”

“Alright. No problem. I will run a few more errands and come back. Thanks, Nick!” I waved goodbye and excitedly returned to the car. Now I was ready to do what I had been looking forward to!

I went to register for our greatly anticipated bundle of joy. I had already been blessed with a little boy and now was going to be blessed with a girl with whom I could share my love of shoes, jewelry and chocolate.

After entering my favorite store and signing up at the registry, I began zapping all the cutest girly baby items. My angelic toddler was quietly sitting in the store shopping cart. He wasn't saying a word and seemed so patient.

I got really focused on my wish list and turned to talk to my son, when my heart seemed to stop. He was smiling at me with his innocent hazel eyes. In his hand was my wallet—and a 20 dollar bill. I began frantically counting the money—20-40-60.

"Oh no," I thought. "I am missing 60 dollars!”

All my happy-go-shopping fun was over. I did have one tiny glimpse of hope inside.

"Maybe it fell on the ground and no one has picked it up," I thought to myself. I went into race car shopping cart mode and vroooomed up and down the aisles. Then, I unabashedly began asking people if they had seen any cash lying on the ground. I must have seemed as if I had just stepped off Mars, but I was desperate. I would have some explaining to do when I returned home. Yes, my one tiny mission I had to accomplish that day was a complete failure. And it was all my fault!

Instead of returning to pay the college tuition, I drove home and called my husband.

"Hello," my husband answered.

"Hey, honey." I squeaked out nervously.

He immediately knew something was wrong. Unfortunately, I could not hold my female emotions together. Through many sobs, I finally explained that our son had thrown away his tuition money to a lucky shopper. I paused and waited for the undesirable response.

"Aw, man!" Long pause. "It will be alright. Just take some money out of our other budgeted money, and we will pay back the other expenses somehow," he assured me.

Well, this only made me feel even dirtier than dirt! He was supposed to chide me for not being careful enough with the money. But, instead he comforted my remorseful, guilty soul.

We said goodbye and I laid my toddler down for his afternoon nap. As soon as he was resting soundly, I slowly staggered to my room and fell on my bed in tears. I knew that, financially, there would be no way to replace the money I had lost. But yet, I knew that it could be replaced divinely.

I began to pray and sob something like this:

Dear God, I am so sorry that I was not careful with the money you provided for us. I beg you to forgive me and to somehow, some way replace the money. My husband needs it to pay our bills! Please, God, have mercy on me and forgive me. I am so sorry. Please provide!

Only my husband knew about the lost money, and only God and me knew about my prayer.

That afternoon, my mom came and picked Joshua up for the evening. Every Tuesday night I was able to go to college with my husband and teach students piano, voice and violin. I also got to enjoy the chapel services. This was a little date night for us every week.

On our way to chapel, a certain evangelist saw my husband and I walking in the halls. He quickly caught up with us and stuck some money in Adam's shirt pocket.

“Here's a little something to help pay the bills this month,” he said warmly.

“Well…thank you,” my husband replied gratefully.

As the final bell rang for classes that evening, my husband and I met up and walked to our car. As my husband opened the door he saw something on the steering wheel. It was a 20 dollar bill.

Between the evangelist's gift and the anonymous giver's gift, we had $120. Exactly twice as much as I had lost! No one but God, my husband, and me knew about the money I had lost. God not only gave the money back, but He doubled it!

I thank the Lord for that experience in which I saw yet another tiny piece of His mercy towards His children! May this story encourage you to trust Him more for everyday things as well as put a smile on your face!