So my good friend, Riana, had a blonde moment yesterday.
She had been shopping at Longbeach Mall Food Lover’s Market. When she arrived, there were no trolleys available, so she grabbed a Woolworths one which had been left outside. After her shop, she had to wait in a long queue and as all of us do, we turn to our cell phones for occupation while we wait. Riana got replying to an email, when suddenly the queue began to move rather quickly and before she knew it, she was hastening onto the next teller. Leaving the email open, she put the cell phone down in the trolley and set about putting the rest of the shopping through the till. With her mind now on shopping, she overlooked the location of her cell phone and it got buried. Now focussed on getting home, she went to her car in the the darkened underground parking area, packed the shopping and drove home.
Of course, on arriving home, she unpacked the shopping and suddenly realised she was without her iphone 6plus! Horrified at what she had done, she immediately prayed, “Lord Jesus please let it be found by someone who is honest.” She was not overcome with peace and calm. Rather with heart pounding & nerves shattered, she called her husband, who, in a calmer frame of mind, rang her cell phone number. Within a few rings, the phone was answered. It was in Woolworths about to be handed in. Riana, still shaking from shock, jumped back into her car and zipped back to the mall where she retrieved it from Woolworth’s Customer service. They collected it from the lost property upstairs. The customer care staff said Riana was fortunate to have had it found by that particular trolley attendant. He has a reputation, they said, for extreme honesty and has even been known to return a cucumber found in a trolley.
So who is he?
The hero of the day was Ricardo, the trolley porter. He had been gathering all the Woollies trolleys and found it. Without hesitating he was on his way to hand it in, which he did! Riana went to look for Ricardo so she could thank him personally. Relieved and delighted to have her phone back, she didn’t hesitate in rewarding him for his honesty.
After hearing the story, I took a drive to Longbeach Mall and tracked down Ricardo. I asked him why he had handed it in. His reply: “I am a born again Christian and it’s part of my religion to look after God’s people.”
Riana’s arrow prayer when she found she had left her phone in her trolley rang through my mind, “Lord Jesus please let it be found by someone who is honest.”
It certainly was!
Ricardo lives in a flat in Ocean View with his wife and two children. He has been working at Longbeach Mall for 5 years and attends a Pentecostal church. Honesty should be the norm, but in today’s day and age, where theft is so common, this was an absolute breath of fresh air.
Look out for Ricardo in Longbeach Mall. When you see a porter collecting or pushing Woolworth’s trolleys, look to see if it’s Ricardo – shake his hand- pat him on the back, tip him generously. Spread the word about Ricardo. He is an honest man and lives by Biblical principles.
Luke 16:10
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”
Keep the smile going.
God bless you!
In His Grip,
Helga xx 🙂