The Key to Finding God in a Starbucks Toilet

Wednesday July 9, 2008

I have an amazing story to share. It’s a bit off-topic from what I normally post here, but I gave my word that I would share my tale and help spread a message…so here it is.

Yesterday, Tuesday, after wonderful travels to South Dakota for a family reunion and then to Asheville, NC to take my father home, my daughter and I were in south, central Tifton, Georgia picking up my nieces who will spend the remainder of the week with us here on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina…aka at “Camp Carla.” We said our goodbyes to family, grabbed a quick lunch and I decided to grab a cup of Starbucks coffee before getting on the road.

I had driven 7 hours on Monday, the day before, from Asheville to Tifton and drank coffee for the first time in two years to stay awake. Inevitably I couldn’t sleep Monday night so I stayed up and finished reading The Shack until 3 am. This book rocked me to the core!!! I was alone in the middle of the night with no one to talk to and no internet. My mind was reeling!!

The story of The Shack is a fictional, spiritual tale that will stretch the boundaries of your faith. The Shack is also a very controversial tale because of the way the author tells it. The book, released in 2007, reads like a memoir. “In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant, The Shack wrestles with the timeless questions, “Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain.”

“While reading The Shack I realized the questions unfolding in this captivating novel were questions I was carrying deep within me. The beauty of this book is not that it supplies easy answers to grueling questions, but that it invites you to come in close to a God of mercy and love, in whom we find hope and healing.” Jim Palmer, author of Divine Nobodies

Getting quickly caught up in the vicious caffeine cycle and a long night, I needed another cup of coffee Tuesday to safely drive home with the girls. Once inside Starbucks I encountered a short line so decided to dash into the restroom “just in case” so I wouldn’t need to stop 30 minutes down the road. I placed my wallet and keys on the tank of the toilet, did my thing, flushed and grabbed my items. The keys slipped out of my hands, fell in the toilet – I kid you not – and vanished IN A FLASH down the hole.

In shock, I tried to grab them before they disappeared. It happened so fast and I felt like my life was instantaneously and involuntarily snatched away, leaving me stranded looking over an empty toilet. This was so not according to plan!! I did the sensible thing and went screaming into the coffee shop “My keys just went down the toilet!”

I broke the news to the girls, then I looked up and saw a familiar face. My mother-in-law’s cousin, John, whom I’ve seen maybe three times in my life was standing there watching this hysterical woman totally freak out and panic in the Starbucks. I told him what had happened (after I identified myself to him – boy, wasn’t he glad the crazy lady was able to identify him of all people there) and he went to fetch Mo from the Holiday Inn across the parking lot. Mo fought with that toilet for 30 minutes on his knees with a wire hanger, on my behalf, trying his best to tell if the keys were even in the toilet’s porcelain bowels. He was not feeling optimistic after his heroic effort.

In the meantime I called family, tried Roadside Assistance (only to learn I’m no longer under warranty) and made the best plan possible: my husband would interrupt his work day, go home to get my spare key, drive over to Fed Ex and we’d be able to travel the next day after the spare key arrived. The only hitch was that my car was parked directly in front of the Starbucks entrance with all four windows and sunroof open and rain was in the forecast. So I persisted.

Mo called a plumber he knew to get a professional opinion. Russell from Central Plumbing arrived 10 minutes later. With his plumber’s snake he went to work. No luck…try after try after try. Between try #4 and #5 I started bargaining with The Creator. I said (in my head and still riding high on The Shack) “Show me you’re real, God. Show me you’re here with me right now. Produce my keys and I’ll buy a case of The Shack and give away every single one.” I surrendered and leaned up against the wall. I released the situation and then started talking with Russell about my local family.

Like a magician, Russell – again, IN A FLASH – snagged my keys on try #6 from the deep bowels of the Starbucks toilet. I don’t know what was more shocking…watching my keys go down the toilet or seeing them appear from the toilet. My key chain is not small. Neither vision was remotely natural and I think Russell was just as shocked as I was once he saw the enormity of my key ring.

After hugging Russell in the stall, I did the next sensible thing and ran back into Starbucks screaming, “He got my keys out of the toilet!” Everyone clapped and cheered – especially the three little girls eager for Camp Carla. I announced Russell’s name and his company. I hope he got some extra business from this crazy, crazy experience!

I don’t really know what happened in the Starbucks bathroom in Tifton that Tuesday. It was all very surreal. But I did make a promise and I intended to honor it.

Whether God worked magic through John, Mo and Russell in a Starbucks bathroom with a snake, no one can say for sure. Since there is no “proof” one way or the other, I’m choosing to believe a miracle occurred that day and I thank God for helping me out.

The kind barista gave me a coffee “on the house” for the road. I truly think she was celebrating with me, but maybe she just wanted to get the crazy lady out of her coffee shop. She said “God was on your side,” so, of course, I had to tell her she must read The Shack.

I know miracles happen – I’ve been the lucky witness and recipient many times – and so I can’t discredit what I am about to share with you as anything less than another miracle.

As promised, I went to TheShackBook.com to order my case of books to give away. Do you know how much 36 books cost including shipping? A whopping $355! So I stuck that website on My List of Things To Do Later. I would buy the books, I just wasn’t prepared to pull the funds from our family budget just yet.

I went to the mailbox Saturday and received a completely unexpected check for $413.36 from our mortgage company for an escrow refund. Thanks God! So I upgraded the shipping to Priority for $375.95 and the books arrived in just a few days!

September 16, 2013

I have enjoyed sharing this story over the years. I bring it up again 5 years later because the author of The Shack, William P. Young, is guest speaking at a local event in my town this October. Another miracle, I believe. The story lives on! I hope to meet Mr. Young and thank him for being a catalyst for knowing God in my life.

So, I did give away all of those 36 books. I even sent one to the barista, John, Mo and Russell. Mo wrote me a note.

“Carla, This is Mo, sorry it took so long for me to thank you for sending me the book The Shack. I just wanted to say I will never forget you and your car keys. I’m so glad you got them back. I really know and believe that God was with you that day and all of us involved. And after reading The Shack, it has opened my heart and eyes to my own belief in God and his miracles. I have given my copy to friends of mine so they could enjoy the message of The Shack. I’m sure they will give it to someone to enjoy after they read it. So thank you again. May God be with you in all your travels. A friend always, Mo.”

And here I am with William P. Young on the day of his event. I did get to share with him my miraculous story. Full circle!