a christmas miracle

Last week I got a text from the library letting me know that an audiobook I had requested was in and ready for pick-up.  Two seconds later I got another text from the library telling me there was a fine due on my account which caused my blood pressure to spike and me to have a heart attack.

Why was there a fine due on my account?!?!  I don't destroy library books!  I'm a very responsible person and always make sure to take care of everything that isn't mine.  I return them WAY before they're due so there's never any problem!  I don't understand!!

So, I promptly got online and logged into my library account.  Low and behold, there was a fine on my account.  For $129.00!!

That was when I died.

There was no information as to why there was suddenly a fine for $129 on my account when the last time I even checked out a book was over a month ago!  The only thing that was listed was the book that the fine was in reference to.  Turns out, I remember the book.  It was an audiobook and it was stupid.  I only listened to two or three CDs before stopping.  I never finished it.  So now I was thinking, "Great!  It was probably a CD at the end that was missing from the previous person who checked it out and because it was too stupid to finish I didn't realize it and now I'm stuck with the fine for replacing the stupid thing!"

I seethed and stewed for a while at my desk.

But then I remembered that I had made a promise to myself to try and be more aware of service opportunities this month when they came my way in order to help spread the Christmas Spirit.  I had money in my checking account to cover the fine and maybe the person who checked it out before me wouldn't have the money, so this was going to be my Christmas gift to them and the library.

Sigh.

So, I went in today to pick up my books on hold and pay my fine.  When I got up to the counter I asked, what the fine was in reference to.  The librarian told me it was because a CD was missing.  She then went and got the audiobook and brought it up to the counter.  As she was going through it she was counting, "Disc 1, disc 2, disc 3, and here it's missing disc 4."  She went to turn the sleeve to continue counting but I stopped her.

There WAS a disc in the disc 4 spot, it was just turned around so the back was showing instead of the front.  I pulled it out, flipped it over and said, "Here's disc 4 right here."  

.....

"Oh, I'm sorry."  She says.  "They obviously didn't go through this very carefully.  Let's get that taken care of."

SIGH OF RELIEF!  I DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY THE FINE!!  IT WAS A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!!!

My day went from this:

To this:

In a heartbeat and suddenly everything was right with the world once more!!  It was a VERY tender mercy from the Lord because, although I DO have the money to pay the fine, there are more important things (like my credit card debt) that I need to be using every spare penny I have towards.