I was preparing a coin collection to be sold for a friend. I inventoried the box of old coins but couldn’t find a five dollar gold piece that I had noticed before. A five dollar gold coin is about the size of a penny and just about the same color. So, I went through each folder again and noted the coins in each one. No dice. No five dollar gold piece. I searched again –no luck!
I stopped and just stood there. In front of me, on the floor, was the empty card-board box and on my bed laid out neatly was the entire contents of that box. How could that coin have disappeared?
I don’t remember if I prayed to St. Anthony or not but I had an idea: I reached down, picked up the box, turned it over and shook it. Out popped the five dollar gold piece. Eureka! I found it! It had gotten itself tucked into one of the folds of the box.
When things seem hopeless that’s the time to step back and re-evaluate the situation. Let the problem sit there. Move away and give yourself a moment of rest or distraction before you attempt to solve a problem that seems unfixable. Of course, there is always St. Anthony….