CONTRIBUTED BY JULIE ATWOOD.

At two never-before-granted locations, this misty morning’s team of eight Treasure Hunters discovered a total of nine Treasures.

Well, make that twenty-one . . . counting both human and canine Treasures.

And we witnessed one confirmed miracle.

The clues of fish, paw prints, cats and dogs, and a dog drinking water led us first to Pet Co. There a truckload of Rockwall County shelter dogs—all up for adoption—initially caught our full attention in the parking lot. After several minutes of delighting in the many squirming dogs with their pointy ears, wagging tails, and pleading liquid eyes, we strolled into the store to search for God’s Treasures.

While her grandson Patrick marveled over chameleons in the reptile section, Charlotte, a first-time participant, spotted our first Treasure. Nudging Julie, she indicated a elderly lady pushing her cart to the aisle of cat supplies. “What color is her cap?”

Julie squinted at the woman’s pale baseball cap. “I think its lavender.”

“Well, what do you know. That’s a shade of purple.” Charlotte hailed Cheryl over and pointed to her list, whose clues included purple hat, cats, and injured leg. With excitement the three Treasure Hunters headed for their quarry. As they rounded the isle to the back row she was stopped in both Cheryl and Charlotte caught sight of her cane resting in her cart, Charlotte confided quietly that she hadn’t see it initially when she spotted the cap.

“God bless you.” Teresa beamed and crossed herself after Cheryl explained our mission and Charlotte pointed out the clue of her hat and then asked if she had leg pain. Teresa nearly swooned at the question and wide-eyed nodded that yes she did have pain in her leg. The Treasure Hunters prayed over her injured leg. “I’m not sure,” she added, though, when Cheryl asked if she felt any of the pain melt away.

“On a scale of one to ten, how much pain do you normally feel?” Cheryl asked her.

Teresa pondered. “I guess about an eight.”

“How much do you feel right now?”

Another pause, then a glowing smile lit Teresa’s face. “I would say now it’s just a five.”

“Do you want God to take the pain away completely?”

“Well, that would be nice, but I am in a hurry. I’m due for another appointment.” She did allow a brief second prayer, however, before scurrying off down the aisle.

As the Treasure Hunters passed another aisle—where Julie saw her paw prints in the form of car magnets on display—they met young Lisa, an employee sporting Bonnye’s clues of glasses and a blue shirt. “I have fibromyalgia,” she confided after being identified as our second human Treasure and asked if she had any aches or pains a clue on Cheryl’s list. “The pain has gotten worse since they took me off my medication.” She too glowed with gratitude over the prayers for healing offered her.

In the meantime, three other Treasure Hunters—Gerald, Bonnye, and Darla—
encountered a whole trio of Treasures. “They were a married couple with one kid. We found them over by the fish tank, which of course was filled with water,” Gerald emphasized, checking his sheet for clues. “Jason, the kid, was wearing shorts, and he’d had surgery on the ankle of his right leg.”

“We also prayed for Gina, his mom,” Bonnye added. “And for her husband Harvey, who’s looking for a job.”

Soon Pastor Cliff joined his fellow Treasure Hunters, sharing with excitement his and Cheryl’s prayer and conversation with Eileen . . . who wore a brown shirt and suffered from lupus, both clues the pastor had received.

Back outside in Pet Co’s drizzle-damp parking lot, we once again fell to stroking, cradling, and admiring the couple of lively Australian Heelers on display. And Darla spotted Marilyn, who in her multicolored scarf and slacks and jacket would prove the group’s seventh human Treasure. “I just want prayer for these dogs,” the creatures’ kindly caregiver told us. “We really want to see them all end up in good homes.” As Cheryl joined Darla in blessing the dogs, she affirmed these special animals as God’s blessing to us humans.

The clues of black and white and checkerboard squares would lead us to our second new location, Steak n’ Shake . . . which sported a floor covered with black-and-white checks and at which many of us enjoyed burgers with pickles (two more clues). Following our scrumptious lunch, Darla discovered yet another Treasure wearing her clue of a multicolored jacket. “I’m feeling kinda sick right now,” young Su Lin admitted. At the request of her sweet mother Mei Li, we ended up praying not only for Su Lin but also for her entire family.

We discussed the many miracles that took place on this morning. Including the one we got to actually see.

It happened back at Pet Co.

We might have missed it had we not ended up hanging out a little longer than planned at the pet store, sharing our various encounters. For hobbling old Teresa, our very first Treasure, did claim to be in a hurry to reach her appointment somewhere else. But as, after lingering, we finally headed for the door, and here she came barreling back in.

This time at lightning speed.

She gasped, “I forgot my cane!”

As we gazed at her in wonder, she skidded to a stop and turned to us, a brilliant smile lighting her whole face.

“This is a miracle!” And she raised her hands and purple cap in praise to her Creator . . . who had made what she forgot—and no longer needed—a reason to rejoice.