Being a huge second-hand shopper, I turned to an online resale site, hunting for some new patio furniture. I had been checking periodically for weeks now after dear friends had completed the construction of our new deck. Gord had purchased a small fountain for me as an early birthday gift to enjoy in the garden, and together we had revived a "new-to-us" awning with some paint and fresh canvas material. The backyard was really starting to look inviting. All we needed now was some lovely furniture to complete the project.
One morning while sitting on the front porch after my daily hour walk, I was scrolling through items for sale when a beautiful wicker set appeared. It claimed to be only eight months old, and looked to be in great condition. After showing it to my husband, I immediately reached out to the seller expressing interest. They replied quickly with an address and we set a time for pick-up the following day. I was so excited! I began praising the Lord for His goodness to us in providing such an incredible patio set at such a great deal!!!
Approximately 30 minutes later the seller messaged again to let me know that she was receiving many requests for the furniture (which honestly was not surprising as it was a lovely set), and asked if I was willing to e-transfer half of the amount to hold the item. I no doubt watch far too many episodes of "People's Court" with Judge Marilyn Milian, but I immediately felt unrest. I replied saying that I wasn't comfortable doing so, but I would drive over at that very moment to give the cash in person and see the patio set.
My congeniality became a technicality as this person wasn't immediately available and encouraged that even a fifty-dollar deposit would secure the set for pick-up the following day. Before much further communication could happen, she then forwarded her email to make the monetary transaction. It was then that it suddenly and seemingly randomly occurred. Our internet connection went down. We had no way to transfer the funds even if we wanted to do so. Simultaneously, the seller removed the item from the site so as not to receive any more inquiries (or so my naive little self thought), and in doing so all her messages to me disappeared, BUT, I had already taken a screenshot of the address. We still had one detail that would help us connect.
About an hour later Gord and I decided to drive over to the home, and either pay in person, or leave a note explaining what had happened. It was about a 25-minute drive, and when we arrived my husband went to the door to speak with "Emily". The kind lady who answered the door was like a deer in the headlights when asked about the patio furniture. It only took moments to realize that this homeowner was completely innocent and there really was no conversation set for sale. The entire thing was a scam. My initial sense of unease was found to have grounds and by shutting down our Wi-Fi the Lord had protected us from the misuse of any money that He has entrusted to us.
I'll admit that I was frustrated when our server failed. What? Now? Right when we've found exactly what we've been looking for to complete the deck ensemble? Yet, at the same time, although questioning the Lord for allowing it to happen, I trusted that if He wanted us to purchase this item, He would somehow keep it for us until we were able to connect.
The "turn of events" was definitely the will of God. Our loss of internet was not accidental, but intentional. I firmly believe that! The Lord heard my initial praise to Him and knowing this was not His doing, He intervened to protect us. I think of all the times that God steps in with a turn of events, either provision, protection or prevention. This is a very practical example, but God cares deeply about every detail of our lives. The next time something happens that provides a re-direction, stop and consider if the hand of God is fulfilling His perfect plan. The delay, removal, change, unexpected intervention is God's love for us. Oh, and by the way, our internet was working again when we returned home. It was definitely the hand of God!
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