Gloria Shepherd??™s friend Ed had promised to send her a particular CD via UPS. 

???Be sure you??™re home on Tuesday when it comes,??? he told her. 

???I??™m not going to be home on Tuesday,??? Gloria told him.  ???But don??™t worry---UPS always leaves packages if I??™m gone.  It??™ll get here safely.???  She lives with her two grown daughters, and either one of them might also be home for the delivery.  Gloria could tell that Ed was somewhat excited about this ordinary transaction, and she wondered why.  But life was a bit difficult right now, and she couldn??™t spare a lot of attention for one small package.

But on Tuesday Ed was VERY worried when he heard that the package didn??™t arrive.  Wednesday, Thursday...and still nothing.  Finally he phoned.  ???I put cash in the package for you,??? he blurted out.  ???I knew you needed it.??? 

???Oh Ed, thank you!???  Gloria was astonished and grateful. She could certainly use the help.

???But it??™s probably been stolen!??? Ed went on.  ???And I can??™t find the ticket either, the one they use to trace packages!???

For some reason, Gloria sensed that the package had not been stolen.  But it certainly was way overdue. That was disappointing, but Ed seemed so upset??¦ she honestly couldn??™t understand why.  ???That night at bedtime, I prayed that God would see that the package was delivered, for Ed??™s sake, so his faith would be restored,??? Gloria says. ???I asked the angels to go and get it---wherever it was----and bring it to my house.???  An unexpected peace ran through her, and she felt certain it was a ???done deal.???. 

 Friday morning Gloria also mentioned the situation to her daughter, Sara.  ???Mom, you asked angels to find it???? Sara laughed.  She was always amused by her mother??™s faith, but she promised to be on the lookout for the package. But by Friday evening, when Gloria got home, the package had still not arrived. She not only checked the porch, but looked carefully around the house, in her daughters??™ bedrooms, in the kitchen, on the front hall table, just to be absolutely sure neither of them had taken it in.

Gloria did have a message on her machine from Ed.  ???I found the ticket!??? he said.  ???At least on Monday I can start a trace.???  Well, that was fine.  The girls were both out on dates, and Gloria went to bed early.

She was awakened during the wee hours by a scream.  Sara!  Was something wrong?  But no.  Gloria struggled into wakefulness to find Sara laughing and dancing around her room.  She was holding a small package from UPS.  ???When I came home just now, there it was, Mom!??? Sara shrieked. ???It was sitting on top of my desk!  And I know it wasn??™t there when I left!???

Gloria knew too.  She had checked everyone??™s rooms.  ???The angels must have brought it!??? Sara went on.  And they had laid it in plain view so Sara, the doubter, wouldn??™t miss it.

The following morning, Gloria phoned Ed to give him the news.  It was then that she discovered the significance of the gift.  ???I am planning to start a Kingdom business, and I wanted God to bless it,??? Ed explained.  ???So I told him I would make an offering of faith, by sending some money to help you out.  When it was lost, I was very upset.  I couldn??™t understand what God was trying to tell me.???

Suddenly everything made sense to Gloria. ???The package got lost for a reason,??? she assured Ed.  ???God used the loss for several purposes: to plant some seeds of faith in Sara, and also to let you know that He is blessing your business.  Why else would He have sent it by special Angel Delivery Courier Service????

Ed??™s business has been launched and is doing well. And Gloria is, of course, reaffirmed in her faith.  She knows that God is aware of even our smallest need.

Author of the New York Times bestseller, WHERE ANGELS WALK  www.joanwanderson.com

Joan Wester Anderson, Author

joan @ joanwanderson.com