Until it was found
Nancy Kennedy
Some years ago, I took an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. with a plane load of World War II veterans, covering the trip for the newspaper.
For the assignment, my editor gave me a camera to use for the day.
I had two jobs: Take a decent photo to go on the front page — and don’t lose the camera.
From 5 a.m. when I got to the airport until close to 9 p.m. when we returned, that camera did not leave my hands.
Except it did.
Exhausted, I was still wound up from a long day traipsing all over D.C. I couldn’t wait to see my husband, tell him about my day and show him the photos I took.
So, I grabbed a cab to take me less than five miles away to a restaurant where I was to meet my husband.
Paid the cab driver, greeted the husband. Kiss, kiss, blah, blah. “Want to see my pictures?” I asked.
I opened my purse to get the camera that hadn’t been out of my reach all day and it. Was. Not. There.
I panicked. I prayed, but I still panicked.
Not only because the camera was not mine, but it had photos on it from my trip with the veterans that I needed and couldn’t retake.
While I panicked, I walked around in circles in the restaurant, mentally retracing my steps.
You had it at the airport. You had it in your purse in the cab. You still have your purse.
The camera is in the cab!
I must have taken it out of my purse to reach the $10 bill I had tucked away for cab fare.
By this time, the restaurant staff was aware of my situation and someone found the phone number for the cab company for me.
My hands shook and my heart pounded as I called — most likely rambling incoherently to the poor woman who answered the phone.
Thankfully she took pity on me, put me on hold and called all her drivers and asked who had driven a crazy lady from the St. Petersburg-Clearwater airport to the nearby Beef O’Brady’s. Since there had been only one, he called in, said he found my camera on the seat and within 10 minutes delivered it to me.
And the angels sang!
I gave him twice the fare amount and thanked him profusely. I know I cried with relief and gratitude mixed with tiredness and slight insanity — he looked scared as he left.
My heart returned to its regular rhythm and all was and is well.
However, for that brief time, all was not well.
All I could think about was finding that lost camera.
I was hungry, thirsty and tired, but how could I eat, drink or sleep until it was found?
On the way home from the restaurant I kept thinking about that feeling of desperation and then that feeling of utter relief.
I closed my eyes and put my head back.Fighting off sleep, I wrestled with my thoughts. I pictured the shepherd who leaves his flock of 99 others to rescue the one lost lamb.
He put the lamb across His shoulders to carry it home.
That camera didn’t even belong to me.
And yet I belong to Jesus.
I once was lost.
He found me.
Contact Nancy Kennedy at 352-564-2927 (leave a message) or email at nkennedy@chronicleonline.com.
