Dollywood, the highlight of our big trip to Tennessee with my daughter and her family. Just as I walked through the entrance gates I patted the pocket of my jeans. My wallet was gone!<\/p>\n
\u201cI was sure I put it in there after I took out the tickets,\u201d I told Jewel, my wife. I checked my fanny pack. No dice. Credit cards, driver\u2019s license, military ID\u2014not to mention $300 in cash. All gone!<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t worry, Dad. I\u2019ll help you find it,\u201d my daughter, Teresa, said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll check the ticket counter,\u201d I said. \u201cProbably left it there.\u201d<\/p>\n
I retraced my steps, searching the ground. No wallet. It wasn\u2019t at the ticket counter either. Or the Lost and Found. \u201cYou can fill out a claim in case it\u2019s turned in,\u201d the woman there said. \u201cBut if someone finds it they\u2019ll probably just take the money and throw the rest away.\u201d<\/p>\n
I filled out the form anyway. What else could I do?<\/p>\n
My special day at Dollywood was going to be ruined. Already my mind was racing, thinking about what to do next. Cancel my credit cards to start, even though I had no cash. What a mess!<\/p>\n
My cell phone rang. It was my daughter. \u201cDad, meet me back where you left us right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
I rushed back. Teresa had a big smile on her face…and my wallet in her hand. I checked it. Not a thing was missing. \u201cBut how did you find it?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI prayed,\u201d she said. \u201cJust as I finished asking God for help I heard an older couple talking about a wallet they\u2019d found on the ground.<\/p>\n
“They\u2019d sent their daughter to take it to the Lost and Found but we were able to catch her before she got there. Thanks to those honest people we got it right back. They were thrilled to return it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Teresa had surely reminded me of the value of prayer. Though I was a devoted Christian and I thought I\u2019d done what I should do to find my wallet, I\u2019d forgotten the most important thing of all. Even when I thought I\u2019d lost all my valuables, there was one I was never without: prayer.<\/p>\n