Prayer CAN change your life

This morning, during the quiet time I try to have each day, a special memory came to me. This is a time when I take a lectionary reading and have a devotional interpretation of it. Then I pray for those who come to mind. I ask God to protect them.

I had not thought of Colin for years. It goes back to 1988 when I was a single mom and lived in an apartment in Scarborough with my daughter, Jennie. One day when I went to get my mail, I discovered a set of keys on the floor in front of the mailboxes. “Someone will need these today,” I thought. There was no identifying name on the four keys. One, however, had a Jaguar motif on it. I did remember seeing a beautiful Jag parked in one of the parking spots close to the front door. I checked, and, sure enough, it was there. Each parking spot was allotted to a particular apartment. This spot was for #510, and so I went there and knocked on that apartment door. I immediately recognized the man who came to the door. He was in his mid 60’s and his face was quite disfigured by scars from having had small pox as a child in Jamaica. I had often seen him in the lobby, and he always smiled and took time to chat with me. My daughter loved to roller skate, and he admired her dexterity. I knew his name was Colin.

Colin was surprised to see me and I could tell he was not having a good day as he looked quite frazzled. “Hi, can I help you?” he said. “No,” I replied, “but I believe I can help you.” Then I handed him the keys. “Are these yours?”

The relief on the man’s face was obvious. “Oh, thank you, God!” he said. Then he looked at me and said, “I prayed THAT prayer and then you appeared. I am so appreciative of you finding them and returning them to me.” He looked perplexed and added, “Where were they, and how did you know they were mine, and in which apartment I lived?”

I told him I was a female Sherlock Holmes. We both laughed, and then I explained what had occurred. “You must be an angel,” he said. “I manage a Jaguar dealership and drive a variety of models to and from work. But without having a duplicate key, I am doomed if I misplace my keychain. Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!”

Colin kindly gave me a ride to work, as he realized my sleuthing on his behalf would have made me late. When I arrived in that year’s top model Jaguar, which was very sleek and classy, quite a few eyebrows were raised. My ‘stock’ went up in the eyes of the employees of the engineering firm for whom I worked! It was a fun experience to leave them guessing.

Jennie and I saw quite a lot of Colin and his partner before we moved to Kingston. He was a kind and gentle man, full of light and a devout Christian. One day I asked him what the prayer had been that he had prayed just before I returned his keys. “John 14:14, he replied: “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” Then he smiled, and added, “And it worked, as you well know.”

So, for Colin, (who would now be close to 100 years, if he is still alive,) and many others, whose lives have touched mine and created great memories, I say gratefully:

Thanks be to God!

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