Yesterday, I experienced another first.
I lost a cellphone.
I’ve never lost a cellphone in my entire cellphone-bearing life (that’s approximately 8 years). I’ve never misplaced it, or got it stolen (thank God). Most of my phones just get broken. But today was different.
Seeing as I work in a telecommunications company, mobile phones are normal in our environment. I borrowed a Nokia 6111 for testing purposes since November last year, and since I borrowed it from the office, the phone was under my name. My name = my accountability.
The other day, the said phone was not charged and since I still don’t have any extra outlet in my cubicle, I had it plugged in my officemate’s extension which is what I usually do. I had a series of meetings in the morning and when I went back, my officemate was out and the phone was exposed, so I hid it in between his pedestal cabinet and his desk. It was our usual doing, really, so I had no qualms about hiding it there.
Unfortunately, that charging phone slipped out of my mind until yesterday morning, and when I looked at my officemate’s desk, the charger wasn’t there anymore. I assumed he must have kept it in his drawer to keep it safe. When he got there, I asked him about it and he said he didn’t remember it. Maybe he just forgot it, but it wasn’t in his cabinet.
Uh-oh.
I checked with the guard, with the people around and then the scary conclusion: it’s lost. :(
I was scared because I knew I was going to have to pay for that missing unit (and charger!), and it’s just hard to accept that. I was angry, worried, distressed and more angry at the person who took the phone from where it was. My officemates offered some theories on who could’ve took it, while I was angry at myself for being so irresponsible. Even if it’s not my fault that someone would take advantage of the phone, If I hadn’t forgotten about it then it would not have been stolen. :(
Losing the phone yesterday reminded me that there was a patron saint for lost objects. I remember back before my trip to Cebu in 2001, I was panicking because I thought I lost my original *NSYNC No Strings Attached CD (go ahead, laugh :p) and I found myself praying to St. Jude who I thought was the patron saint of lost objects1 but it is actually St. Anthony of Padua. Yes, I found the CD that time, but anyway, yesterday I found St. Anthony’s prayer while I looked for the phone.
I admit that I don’t really ask saints for intercession as much as my mom does, but I believe that they can intercede for our prayers. It’s just not in the habit. The events yesterday made me pray a saint’s prayer again, but I was sort of wary to myself because I felt like I was being insincere. I mean, I’ve never asked them to pray for me before, and it feels too impersonal to ask them this time.
That night, I heard mass because it was first Wednesday, and I found another prayer forming in my heart: that I may be able to forgive the person who took the phone. Maybe he really needs it, and even if it doesn’t justify the act, in the end, I must forgive him to set myself free from the anger. So I asked for the strength to forgive him and the resources to pay for the phone, which I know He will provide.
And then the commentator gave the announcements for the EDSA Shrine and introduced the choir. The choir’s name? San Antonio de Padua.
I had to smile at that. Lord, was that an affirmation? I think so. :) I wondered briefly if the phone would magically come back, but as of now, it hasn’t but I will not lose hope that it might come back after some time. Or that God would help me find a cheap phone replacement for it. Either way, God affirmed me last night that He is still taking care of me, and that this loss is also a part of His plan.
I’m okay! But I do get bummed about it sometimes, but I will just continue trusting Him (and yes, I falter a lot of times) and praying this prayer so St. Anthony of Padua would intercede for me. To everyone else: be careful of your things, okay?
Dear Saint Anthony, you are the patron of the poor and the helper of all who seek lost articles. Help me to find the object I have lost so that I will be able to make better use of the time I will gain for God’s greater honor and glory. Grant your gracious aid to all people who seek what they have lost - especially those who seek to regain God’s grace. Amen.
God’s day everyone!
- He’s actually the patron saint of hopeless cases [«]
Whew… I hate the feeling of misplacing something I don’t really own. The feeling makes me hate myself and much more if the item is irreplaceable. Hoping that you’ll find the lost phone. Or did you find it already?
Jeric: Nope, still haven’t found it. :(
Aww. Nakakainis nga yung ganyan. Ako nawalan na ng phone, naiwan ko naman sa may bintana namin kasi pinatong ko dun nung naglalaro kami sa labas. Hai. Sana makita mo na. Naka-off na ba?
guess what, i just lost my phone today too. and the first thing that came to my mind was to know the saint for lost things. then i happen to stumble on your website. i’m a teacher and i lost it when i was having class. i figured it out only after the kids left. i felt numb and lost for a good 3 seconds. i knew i left it there where it should be. pero wala… i prayed to saint anthony. and kept looking around for his website for some dose of comfort and assurance that’s when i happen to read your daily blog full of similarity. it brought me back to reality i guess. a lot of assurance that even if it does not not come back i still have the ability to forgive this thief who did me wrong. it would be great if i get the item back but then that thougth will only take my time and effort away from praising God. i believe prayers are there to do just this which is to brign us back to God and make us stay with Him- trust Him and Believe in Him.
Lost rings.
A week ago today i had taken off my rings ,watch, and bracelets at my parents house . I remember taking them off and my dad does also. what i did with them after that i can’t remember ,i thought i put them in my purse .
The next morning on my way to work i get in my purse to put them on and nothing ,so i call my daughter to ask g’pa if they were there and he said he didn’t see them . so when i got off that night i looked all around their house and nothing. by this time i’m starting to tear up . I’m the type of person that material things don’t matter to me just the love . well these material things mean the world to me . my rings were gifts from my boyfriend of 11 years one is an engagement ring and one is a mothers ring with our kids birthstones on it and the other was a gift from him for the heck of it . one of the bracelets was given to me from his sister . her daughter was killed back in Dec. of 02 and everyone of her friends was given something of hers to keep her close to us and they gave me the bracelet . so i hope you can understand why these lost items mean so much to me .
i rememeber when i was a little girl my grandma telling me to pray to st. anthony . but at the time my mind was just going and wondering where they could be and once i found the prayer and i said it i felt at ease . like alot was lifted off my shoulders and i thought ok i’ll give it a couple days and look at my house and nothing .but i’m a little confused do i say the prayer as i begin to look or can i say it now and then look later once i get their ?
i’m so lost without them .. i hope i find them soon .
St. Anthony after 2 weeks of looking . i have found my lost jewelry. i posted my request on 6/10/08. i have looked and looked around my house and my parents house . So yesterday i thought ok let me look again . i know i looked in my closet plenty of times and when i just stood in front of the closet moved a bag i seen this thing on my boyfriends shoes and sure enough it was my jewelry . (he gave me )… .. i was so happy … thank you , thank you ,thank you… you have helped me once again .