"a diamond in the rough"

We are back in Lanexa, VA, after a very fun trip to Washington DC.

Last night Bubba took me to the Sweetwater Cafe where we think the best food in the world is served. I got a crab cake and a small fillet. He got salmon with a special sauce. It was delectable.

Amanda wanted to stay at the mall, so she and the boys ate at Mickey D's. We begged her to come with us but she wanted to shop more than she wanted to eat.

Everything went so well until this morning.

ABH planned to be at Macy's at 8:00 for the beginning of the "one day sale." Bubba was to take her and come back to the hotel to pack up and get ready to leave. Amanda was running a little behind, and everybody knows what that does to Bub, so she had to leave in a bit of haste.

When we picked her up we left to go downtown to another Macy's. She shops when things are deeply discounted for her e-bay business lest you think she is the ringleader of the mad shopper's society.

At some point Amanda realized that she no longer was in possession of her diamond necklace; a special gift from Mark two Christmases ago.

Calls were made to Macy's and nothing had been found and turned in. Promises were made that they would call if they found it. Fat chance of that.

Now this is where the miracle comes into play. I had been praying that God would miraculously help us to find her treasure.

Three hours later we made the decision to return to the scene and search ourselves.

Bubba took us back to the exit that we had left from and we hurriedly combed every area of the floor where she had shopped, all to no avail.

In her haste this morning to leave the hotel room she put her jewelry in her pants pocket. She later put on her earrings and her rings, but not the necklace.

Then she remembered that she had put her hand in her pocket and felt what she thought were crumbs........while waiting for us to pick her up she decided to fling those crumbs out of her pocket and onto the ground.....and off we went.

Unknowingly she had tossed her necklace instead of what she thought were crumbs. (Mommies always have weird things in their pockets)

As a last ditch effort she went to check outside of the exit door and amazingly there it was sparkling in the sunshine. It was laying right where the people come and go out of the store but no one had seen it.

That was a miracle.....an answer to prayer. We couldn't get over how God had led us back to the beautiful diamond. He had protected it and had it waiting for us when we came back.

We praise Him for His involvement in the little things that are big in our lives. Things like this happen all the time when you live in the grace of our loving Father who cares about His children.

His grateful child, Cathy