The Lost Key

In How I Know God Answers Prayer, Rosalind Goforth said no answer to prayer ever brought more intense relief than the following incident.

She and her husband were missionaries in China in the early 1900s. Once while he was away preaching, she was persuaded to go preach at a four-days "theatrical" which brought large crowds. The four days there were enough to wear out the strongest because she had to face unruly crowds many hours daily. 

At the end of her stay, she turned her face homeward utterly worn out. Her one thought was to get to Wei Hwei for a few days' rest where her youngest children were attending school. She knew a sight of them would recover her energies better than anything else.

But when she got home she realized that she had lost the key of the money-drawer. It was Friday, and the train for Wei Hwei left on Saturday at ten o'clock. There was too much money in the drawer for her to leave with the key lying around somewhere. Besides, she could not go without money.

She started looking everywhere. Drawers, pigeonholes, and shelves were all searched in vain. After hunting for two hours, until she was too exhausted to hunt any more, she suddenly thought, "I have never prayed about it."

Stopping by the dining table, she lifted her heart to the Lord. "O Lord, you know how much I need a rest; You know how much I long to see the children; pity me, and lead me to the key."

Then, without wasting a step, she walked through the dining-room, hall, and women's guest room into her husband's study, to the bookcase. She opened the door, slipped two books aside, and there was the key. So near did the Lord seem at that moment that she could almost feel His bodily presence. It was not that she remembered putting the key there, but He led her there.

"His tender mercies are over all his works" (Ps. 145:9 KJV).