God's Constant Care

Yesterday morning at 8:30, I told the youth to get in the vehicles.  We were heading to the Bethesda nursing homes to lead worship at three locations, and I wanted plenty of time to make sure everything was set up properly.  I headed upstairs to put a check in the secretary's box while the others went out.  On the way up, I decided I should put the check on her desk and entered the sanctuary to grab my office key from the box where I keep it.  It wasn't there. 

Professionals painted the sanctuary last week, so most stuff had been moved - my music to the third floor.  I thought the key might have been placed there somehow, but when I investigated I couldn't find it.  Back in the sanctuary, Ron asked, "Where's the organ key?  I came on Friday to practice but couldn't find the key."  The organ key is on the same ring as the office key; I told Ron about my dilemma, looked around the organ some more, and went back up to the third floor - without success.  I called the pastor, who promised to come over with the office key and let me in to look for an extra organ key.

Meanwhile, the youth were still waiting in the vehicles.  I was thinking furiously; what should I do?  I couldn't leave the church until the organ key was found; there was no way anyone else would be able to find an extra key, though I didn't know if I would be able to find one, either.  Should I send the youth on to set up and trust that they could start without me if necessary?  I went outside, stepped around indecisively a few times, then went to the window of our van and told Daniel, "My organ key is missing."  He turned to the back seat and said, "Zach, where did you put the organ key?" 

I thought he was joking - what would Zach know about it? - but Zach replied, "I put it in the box."  The two of them had been practicing the day before, and the key was hidden in the bottom of the box.  I found it, Ron started practicing, and we made it to the nursing home in plenty of time.

Though I didn't consciously or formally pray, God was watching over the whole situation.  If I hadn't looked for the office key, if Ron had been ten minutes later, OR if I hadn't mentioned the situation to Daniel, Ron would have been playing the piano or I would have missed the nursing home service.  But the Lord orchestrated everything so that the lost was found.  Praise Him!