I was baptised and became a Christian on November 3rd, 1974, following two years of diligent study and research, which proved to my own satisfaction at least, the existence of God and the authenticity of the Bible as the virtual manual for mankind. One Sunday afternoon shortly thereafter, my wife and I took our two little children for a swim at Carlisle beach just across the road from our little cottage. The sun was just going down when we decided to pick up our towels and return home for dinner. Twilight doesn’t last very long in Barbados and soon it would be dark, so I shook off my towel and we headed back across the road to our home. Just as we arrived at the front door, I realised with horror, that I had forgotten to pick up our key from off the beach towel before shaking it in the wind to remove the sand that had gathered on it. The key to our home had obviously gone flying into the air when I shook the towel and was now lying somewhere on Carlisle beach.
Our children were hungry and not having a spare key we were unable to get into our home. Unaware that the landlord was not at home, my wife decided to walk to his house nearby to see if he had a spare key, while I returned to the beach in the hope of somehow managing to find the key which was now probably buried in the sand somewhere.
I could see the slight indentation on the beach where our towels had been, and I spent the next several minutes searching in vain for the key around where we had been sitting. By this time the sun had gone down and the beach was in darkness. There is nothing quite like a newly converted believer. I hadn’t been a Christian long enough to have developed through the trials of life in a mostly agnostic world, any doubts or uncertainties about our Father or His love to hinder my faith in the slightest, so as I was alone on this dark beach, I knelt down on the sand and asked my Father in Heaven to help me to find the key to our home, which He obviously knew I had lost on the beach when I shook the sand from the towel.
My prayer took only about thirty seconds, after which I got up and started to search again all around the area where we had been sitting. Still nothing. So I knelt and prayed again, a bit more fervently this time. Got up and searched again. Still no key. Then a scripture came to mind, Luke 18:1-8, a promise from Christ, the very Son of the Living God: “And he spoke a parable to them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, Avenge me of my adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge says. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night to him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man comes, shall he find faith on the earth?” So I knelt one more time and asked my Father again, to please help me to find the key.
As soon as I stood up, I noticed two young boys walking towards me along the beach. As they approached, I said, “Excuse me fellows, could you please help me? I have lost the key to my house on the beach somewhere around here.” Neither of the boys said anything, instead, one of them just reached down, pushed his fingers into the sand, pulled out the key, handed it to me and they continued their walk down the beach.
I was absolutely amazed and dumbfounded! He had spent a mere moment to find the key. He had thrust his fingers into the beach right where the key was buried as if he knew exactly where it was! I continued to watch these two young boys as they walked along the beach away from me. I began to ponder what had just occurred. I had prayed three times, fervently asking God to help me to find the key to our home. He had undoubtedly heard and answered my prayers. I thanked Him. But I couldn’t contain my curiosity. “Who were these boys?” I wondered. I remembered the Apostle Paul’s admonition to the Hebrews in chapter 13:2, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” I wanted to know, “Did God simply use two young boys to find the key, or did he actually send two angels in disguise?” “If they are angels,” I somewhat ineptly mused, “they won’t have average human names like Bill or Harry, they will have angel sounding names, like Gabriel or some such, and angels can’t lie either, they’ve got certain angel rules to follow, don’t they? so if I ask them their names, they’ll have to tell me and then I’ll know for sure who they really are.”
So, feeling somewhat apprehensive and with mouth and eyebrows set in that distinctive puzzle-solving mode, I set off to catch up with them down the beach. They didn’t disappear or any such thing (aren’t angels supposed to vanish after doing good deeds?) so I soon caught up with them. Walking alongside them near Carlisle Bay, I looked at the one nearest to me and asked as casually as I could muster, “By the way … what’s your name?” He stopped, turned and looked at me and said clearly, “Jeffrey!” I was shocked, that’s my name, I thought. “And .. and …” I stuttered, looking at the other boy, “what’s your name?” “Carlisle” he replied, and they continued their walk along Carlisle beach.
Well, I stood there scratching my head and wondering. I am still none the wiser about who they were. All I know for sure is that I had prayed, believing, and my prayer had been answered, in a somewhat surprising way. I have prayed many times since then. Many have been answered, while many have also gone unanswered. Yet that event on that Sunday afternoon soon after my baptism, and through reminiscing about it many times since then, has encouraged me to believe what Christ promised when he said, “And all things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.” (Matthew 21:22).
Some 32 years later, I occasionally walk along Carlisle beach in the evening … and it wouldn’t surprise me if I were to sometime meet two boys, still looking about 14 years old, still bearing the names: Jeffrey and Carlisle. (smile). However, if there are two Barbadian men, now around age 46, named Jeffrey and Carlisle, and who remember finding a key for a man on Carlisle Beach one Sunday evening some 32 years ago, please let me know.
Well, that’s my story. We would be happy to read your own true, faith boosting story. If you would like us to consider posting it on this web site, you may send it to us at the email address below. And let us know if you would like us to put your name or post it anonymously.
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