Like A Thief In the Night

This past Sunday Jayden lost his brand new Awanas book. We searched high and low and could not locate it anywhere. The only places he has it is in the car and in the house. I'm sure it is around here somewhere but we have not been able to locate it.

Jayden was praying all over our home for the book and crying and it was really sad. I knew he was really worked up about missing it and part of me was a tad irritated that my reminding him, many times, to always put it back in his Awanas bag had gone unwarranted.

Ben came home from work and I was telling everyone to go get in the van but Ben wanted to look one more time so the six of us all crowded into the boys room and searched for the book. Ben was on his stomach looking under the bed and I was standing by the dresser near the boys' playmobil when a black object flew down in my peripheral vision.

I jerk my head to the side and there, in all her missing for three weeks glory was Sally Bonnie! All I could say in a shocked voice was, " OHMIGOSH BEN ITS SALLY BONNIE! ITS SALLY BONNIE" ( side note: just writing her name makes me smile :)). I could not believe that there, in the middle of a completely messy room, was Sally Bonnie. Who the heck knows where she came from or where she has been for THREE WEEKS! Yet, there she was. I ushered Austen, Moriah and Hannah out of the room, closed the door and showdown began.

Ben refers to Sally Bonnie has being "hell-bent" on getting out of her terrarium. So, to capture her when she probably was just dandy roaming free throughout the home was an oxymoron. Jayden moved slowly and cautiously towards her and missed her as she darted under the bed. Ben, shined his flashlight on Sally Bonnie and says, " Amanda, she's moving out your way, don't let her get away!". I see Sally Bonnie emerge from the depths of blankets and Thomas the Train tracks and try to hide in the playmobil castle. " Jayden! You will not hurt her, just grab her, you can do it, you can do it!!!!". Jayden moves in, more quickly this time and swoops her up by the tail.

She begins to bite him with her small teeth, which does not hurt by the way, and we maneuver her lid of the terrarium up and put her back in. She is home!!! Frisky and Sally Bonnie are reunited!!! I cannot tell you how much it did to the boys faith and the power of prayer to see their prayer answered.

I told the kids, back when we lost her, that sometimes God answers our prayers with a yes, no or not right now. I didn't know if she was coming back and I didn't want to give them false hope. However, I know that God hears the voices of his children. He seeks to grow their faith with small things so that they will see that yes,  my God is good and yes my God is faithful and yes my God hears me when I pray.

Praise God Sally Bonnie is home. She and Frisky seem so happy together and I am so thankful that she is a constant, visual reminder to the kids that God loves them! Still have not found the awana book, but out of no where, Sally Bonnie descended into the bedroom and lifted our hearts.