Find Religion

Ok, forget about Santa…what about God? Is God always watching us?

Let me tell you a true-life story here.

Yesterday, I went to a farmer’s market with my roommates. Now, my one roommate, Mandi, has told us stories before about how she went to this same market over the summer with her sister and they found $40 in a sealed envelope laying on the group. The envelope had some writing on it wishing the recipient, Jose, a happy birthday. No real information on how to get it back to the rightful owner, and I mean, it’s a farmer’s market, not a store with a counter to turn in the money, so they waited around a few minutes to see if anyone came back for it, and then they left with a few lucky bucks in their wallet.

Awesome.

So we’re leaving the market yesterday, with lots of goodies in tow, and all of a sudden we all see money just laying on the ground! My roommate Jillian picks it up, and it’s a few dollar bills and money in an envelope addressed to some Hispanic-sounding name and wishing him a happy birthday. Jillian said she thought she saw this guy throw it on the ground, but when she looks his direction (he’s at the next stand), he’s just kinda watching us and smiled at Jillian.

An older women was like “Lucky girls. Stick it in your pocket and get out of here.”

We stood around, not sure about what to do for a few minutes, and then just shrugged it off and left. Money for a nice dinner, yay! (Although we’re not actually sure how much money was in the envelope, I’m guessing $40.)

In the parking lot, the guy who Jillian thought she saw drop the money (a short Hispanic dude) came up to us and was like “Did you find money on the ground? It’s my birthday!” Bummer for us. We gave him the money, wished him a happy birthday, and left.

Weird coincidence?

Well take this into consideration: Last year at a mall right down the road from the market, a friend and I found a few bucks and an envelop on the ground. We turned it into the store where we found it, but a man followed us to the door and asked us if we found money, then made us walk back inside with him to the counter to prove we turned it back in. The evelope was wishing the person a happy birthday and the man, although I do not remember his face, was Hispanic.

So that makes three encounters.

Than Mandi calls her sister to tell her the story and it turns out that the SAME thing happened to her not long ago at the mall as well, and the (we think) same Hispanic man followed her to her car to retrieve the money, which was in a birthday envelope.

Mandi’s sister freaked out, saying that God is testing us. I’m more inclined to think that it’s one of three things:

1. He’s got some extra money and likes to see what people will do with it.

2. He’s doing some kind of study.

3. He’s trying to do some kind of scam, maybe hoping single girls, not groups, will pick up the money and he can have a reason to follow them to their cars. (scary)

But in any case, even if this man is not God, isn’t God always watching?

I mean, what would you do with the money. I myself am inclined to say that if a person is dumb enough to drop their money, they don’t deserve to get it back. Unless I found a lot of money, like enough to make or break a person, I’m not sure I’d turn it in to the store or to the police. I’ve never really found money, so I’m not sure what I’d do.

I guess the moral thing to do, however, would def not be to keep the money. At a farmer’s market, there’s not much you can do, but at a mall or store, you can turn it in to a lost and found or at the cash register.

In any case, please be safe when you’re out and something weird like that happens. Finding money is awesome, but scams and scary guys are not, so stay on your toes. If you’re shopping after dark, I highly recomment going with a friend or asking a security officer to walk you to your car.

What would you do with the money, dear readers? What would Jesus do? Is God testing me and my friends?

God, money, moral, Finding money