Last week was already full. Aside from family responsibilities, I had three major things to attend to: the deadline for submitting midterm grades, classes with my college students, and a parenting talk at another grade school department of a university.
Then, on Thursday, I lost my phone.
I could not remember whether I had left it in the restroom or at the food cart where I bought my lunch at the university where I teach. I did not realize it was missing until my husband called me through Messenger on my laptop. I searched for my phone, thinking I had probably left it in the car. When I could not find it, I tried to stay calm and continued preparing for my parenting talk the following day.
Before leaving the university, I checked the car again. Still nothing.
That was when panic began to set in.
I went back to the restroom where I remembered placing my phone near the window. It was not there. I returned to the food cart and asked if anyone had turned it in, but there was no sign of it. My heart was beating fast. I kept calling my number, hoping someone would answer, but the phone just kept ringing.
As I searched, I asked for help from some students and the guidance coordinator I happened to meet along the way.
It was raining heavily, and I needed to go to the Guidance Office to inquire whether my phone had been turned over to the Office of Student Affairs. Unfortunately, I had no umbrella.
Just then, a student entered the main entrance of the LRC building, carrying an umbrella wet from the rain. I immediately asked if I could borrow it. She hesitated for a moment and said, “Mubalik man ka, Ma’am, noh?”
Hahaha! I understood her concern. She probably wondered whether I would return her umbrella.
I assured her, “I will look for you at the library. Just stay where you are. I will come back. Do not worry. I am a faculty member here.”
She eventually lent me her umbrella.
It was such a simple gesture, yet it meant so much to me at that moment. In the middle of my worry, a student's kindness gave me comfort. I was reminded that even when we feel overwhelmed, there are people willing to help us in small but meaningful ways.
At the Guidance Office, I asked for assistance in checking with the Office of Student Affairs. Unfortunately, my phone had not been turned over.
Before I left, however, something beautiful happened. The guidance counselors gathered around me. They listened, offered comfort, and made me feel that I was not alone. One of them even lent me a scarf to cover the back of my blouse, which had gotten wet from the sudden downpour.
Before I left, they assured me that they would include me in their prayers because they were about to pray the Rosary.
Oh, Mama Mary! How fitting it was that this happened during October, the month we especially dedicate to the Holy Rosary.
Their kindness and the assurance of their prayers brought peace to my troubled heart. I was grateful to Ma'am Josie, Ma'am Lovely, Dr. Mercy and the other guidance counselor whose name I had not yet learned. Their presence reminded me that sometimes, comfort comes not from having our problems solved immediately but from knowing that someone cares.
I returned to my office, sat for a while, and prayed. I asked God for guidance on what to do next.
Then I remembered Ann, my former assistant when I was still the Senior High School Principal. She is now assigned to the Office of Student Affairs. I messaged her through Messenger, and, thanks be to God, she responded immediately. She guided me through the steps to secure my phone using Google's Find Hub, mark it as lost, and display a message asking whoever found it to return it.
The message would read:
“This phone is marked lost. Return this to __________.”
At least, I could do something to protect my phone and its contents.
After informing my husband and other family members about what happened, I prepared to leave the university and attend Mass. But before heading to church, I had to drop by the DXN center to buy the vitamins we regularly purchased.
I told Ate Itet, the owner, and her husband, Kuya Edwin, about losing my phone. I shared that it was the first time I had ever lost one.
Kuya Edwin casually responded, “Ako, Glen, lima na ka phone ang nawala.”
Hahaha! I laughed.
Imagine losing five phones! Suddenly, my one lost phone did not seem quite as overwhelming.
Then Ate Itet joined the conversation.
“Wala gyud ko nawad-an ug cellphone, but alahas, kadaghan na. Naay tag P30,000, etc.”
Hahaha! I laughed even harder.
There I was, worrying about my lost phone, while these two were sharing their own experiences with such lightness and humor.
And just like that, my heart felt lighter.
I realized that God was comforting me in another way. Through Kuya Edwin and Ate Itet, He reminded me that material losses happen, life goes on, and sometimes, a good laugh is exactly what we need to regain perspective.
I left the DXN center telling them that I would attend Mass at St. Francis Xavier Church in Pueblo de Oro and talk to Jesus.
Before heading to church, however, I stopped by Globe at SM. Since I still had enough time before Mass, I had my SIM card deactivated and attended to my phone plan so that I could secure my account. With that taken care of, I continued to church.
I thought I would finally have a quiet moment with Jesus after such a stressful afternoon.
But God had another encounter waiting for me.
As I usually do, I went to the restroom before entering the church. There, I met one of the regular Massgoers who greeted me and immediately asked if she could briefly share her story with me.
She told me that she and her family had been going through difficult times. Her son, who was studying at the university where I teach, had to stop his studies because of health reasons. Her daughter was also experiencing psychological and mental health challenges. As she continued sharing, I realized how much she had been carrying.
She simply needed someone to listen.
And so, I listened.
I entered the church that day with a heart full of emotions. I had lost my phone, but along the way, I had encountered people who helped me, comforted me, made me laugh, prayed for me, and trusted me enough to share their burdens.
There was the student who lent me her umbrella, the guidance counselors who offered their care and prayers, Ma'am Ann who helped me secure my phone, Kuya Edwin and Ate Itet who made me laugh, and the woman at church who opened her heart to me.
Different people. Different gestures. One beautiful reminder: God knows how to reach us through the people He places along our path.
That day, I learned two important lessons.
First, losing something material is never greater than the value of the people and relationships we have.
A phone can be replaced. Money can be earned again. Material things can be lost and found. But the love of family, the kindness of friends, and the presence of people who care are far more precious.
Second, while we are occupied with our own struggles, someone else may be carrying a heavier burden.
My lost phone had caused me anxiety and frustration. Yet, when I listened to the woman at church, I momentarily forgot my own worries. My attention shifted from what I had lost to someone who needed to be heard.
That was perhaps the most beautiful realization of all.
Sometimes, God allows us to experience discomfort not to punish us, but to open our eyes and hearts. He reminds us that our problems are real, but they are not the whole story. Beyond our own concerns are people who need our understanding, compassion, and time.
As I listened to that woman, I discovered the joy of reaching beyond myself. I went to church carrying the weight of a lost phone, but I found myself making room for another person's pain.
That night, I went home with a much lighter heart.
I could hardly believe how quickly my attention had shifted from worrying about my phone to appreciating the people God had sent my way. Nothing about my difficult afternoon had erased the problem, but the kindness I encountered had changed how I saw it.
And then came another unexpected blessing.
The following day, I received a call from Ms. Cathy and a message from Sir Jerwin B. informing me that my phone had been left at the university guardhouse on Friday morning. There was no name attached to it.
I was relieved and grateful. My phone had finally been found!
But as I reflected on the experience, I realized that the greatest blessing was not getting my phone back. It was discovering how much God had already given me while I was searching for it.
He gave me a student's kindness, friends who cared, a former colleague who helped, people who made me laugh, and an opportunity to listen to someone who needed comfort.
He reminded me to pray, to trust, to see beyond my own worries, and to recognize His presence in the ordinary moments of life.
Sometimes, we become so focused on what we have lost that we fail to see what we are being given.
That Thursday, I thought I was simply having a terrible day because I had lost my phone. Looking back, I see a day filled with unexpected encounters, quiet lessons, and reminders of God's goodness.
I lost a phone, but I gained a deeper appreciation for kindness, compassion, friendship, and the grace of being present for others.
And perhaps that is one of the beautiful ways God works in our lives. He does not always remove our worries immediately. Sometimes, He sends people to walk with us through them. Sometimes, He gives us laughter when we are close to tears. And sometimes, He allows us to encounter another person's pain so that we may forget ourselves for a while and become an instrument of His love.
The phone is back in my hands, but the lessons remain in my heart.
May I never be too preoccupied with what I have lost that I fail to recognize the blessings still around me. May I always have the grace to listen, the heart to understand, and the willingness to extend kindness to others.
And may I continue to recognize God in the people He sends, in the prayers whispered for me, in the laughter that lightens my heart, and in the opportunities He gives me to serve.
To God be the glory, honor, and praise, forever and ever. Amen.
PS. To the person who found my phone and decided to return. God bless you.
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