The Blessing Of Losing My iPhone

The Blessing Of Losing My iPhone

   I am shopping in the local farmers market in San Isidro, Costa Rica on a sunny Thursday morning.  I love this market it is, I believe, the second largest in the country. The selection of produce is exceptional! I dropped my car off earlier a few blocks away at Firestone the mechanic to get my oil changed. An hour into my shopping after collecting all my organic produce, I reached in my purse for my phone. I dig around searching and searching.... no phone!! At first I feel the butterflies in my stomach as I think since the zipper was not zipped on my bag that perhaps my phone fell out or got picked up by wondering hands. I quickly reigned in my thoughts. It is only a phone. I know that my thoughts effect my physical state of being. If the phone was gone then so be it, all is well. It can be replaced. I went around to all the venders I visited inquiring if they had come across a lost iPhone. The last time I remembered using the phone was at Firestone and I remembered sitting it on a table. That is where it must be. I leave my produce at the farmers market at a friends booth.   Walking out of the feria, there is an older lady in front of me walking slowly with what looks like very heavy bags in both her hands. I observe many people, squeezing by, passing her. I think of doing the same, thinking of my phone, then I hear a voice in my head say "help her".  I am consciously following my thoughts. I am being careful not to dive into the egos panic mode. I decide to instead do what "spirit" asks of me. I try to put the thoughts of God first. In Spanish, I ask the women if I can give her a hand. She hands me a bag and we walk. She is probably in her late 70's and the bag I take from her is full of produce. I speak a little Spanish but it is far from perfect. We talk a little on our walk she asks about my mother and father, my husband and my daughters. She asks why I live here away from my parents. I try to explain how I ended up here but I'm not sure she understands. As we come to a street corner we walk in the opposite direction of the mechanic.  My mind wonders for a moment but then I ask "What is truly more important in this moment,  right now?". The answer is clear. Help this lady and the next moment will be cared for. As I adjust my thoughts I switch hands and carry the bag that now represents gratefulness. Gratefulness as I look over at this lady with a warm smile on her face. Gratefulness, my heart is filled with awe that this moment was a choice that was gifted me and I was conscious enough to accept it. Looking at our reflection in the shop window I see a tall thirty something Gringa walking with a women that has mothered generations of Ticos from this land that I now call home. After many city blocks we come to her destination... a bus stop. I am in disbelief she was going to walk all this was alone! As I put her groceries down she says something I don't quite catch about God and an angel. I thank God for the blessing of losing my iPhone and for placing this angel in my path. 

  I walk back to the mechanic with a spring in my step and a heart full of gratitude! I ask, as they hand me my key, if anyone happen to see a pink iPhone on the table in the waiting room. "Sorry, no we didn't." I walk around back to my car unlock my door and sitting between the seats in plain view is my iPhone.