I recently attended a TOFW and it is very important that I have a pen to keep notes. For all of the great inspirational talks and things spoken, I want to be able to remember as much as I can at these events.
My "pen story" unfolded during a break on Saturday. We hurried from our seats to rush to the ladies room and I stuck my pink pen in the pocket of my jacket. After we returned to our seats, I checked my pocket and...no pen. I jumped from my seat and started looking around on the floor, visited the ladies room and asked the attendant there, looked around and found nothing. I finally thought there was no possible way of tracking down my pen. With added faith from recent talks at the event, I thought, "The Lord will provide." I went to the closest vendor counter and waited my turn in hopes that they would have an extra pen I could borrow. "Sure!" The nice young lady said. "Someone had left this pen here and so it is extra." My hope was fulfilled! An extra pen! Ha, what are the chances of that?! I looked down at the black pen and noticed that the clip was broken.
Returning to my seat, a little down-hearted about my prized pink pen that had not been recovered, I continued to take my notes during the next two speakers. I couldn't get it out of my mind about how I loved my pink pen. It was pink and I loved the way it wrote... it was then that the quiet prompting came to me. All of a sudden, I felt horribly ungrateful. Here I had a nice pen that worked just fine and all I could think about was that it just didn't measure up to my valued pink pen. Being tenderly reprimanded, I started to cry. I had been so ungrateful and yet the Lord HAD PROVIDED. My ungrateful heart turned quietly to the Lord in forgiveness. I all of a sudden had a love for this insignificant pen. I also learned a valuable lesson about gratitude. A few seconds later, my phone alarm buzzed and I reached for my purse. I opened up the black flap and, to my surprise, there it was! My pink pen neatly posed in the side pocket. I gasped! I had goosebumps all over and as quietly as possible, exclaimed, "My PINK PEN!" I immediately returned the borrowed black pen to the counter outside the auditorium; unfortunately, the vendor had momentarily left her seat, nonetheless, I hoped she would noticed that I had returned it.
Although this story may be about an insignificant pen, it was important that I was able to take notes during the event. More importantly, I was taught a lesson of my own by a loving Heavenly Father reprimanded by a still small voice.
I still have no recollection of placing my pink pen in the side pocket. ;)
