Personal photo of tunnel bag

How complete strangers demonstrated Matthew 7:12

We left the hotel with two other couples shortly after breakfast. The snowmobile ride to the Purdy Mica Mine from North Bay would take a few hours and we wanted to make the most of the day.

The clouds lifted and the sun shone brightly. We started on Lake Nipissing and then took the main snowmobile trail that ran across Trout Lake. The wind was cold but we were dressed for it.

My husband and I rode last in our pack of three sleds. Sitting on the back, I kept my eyes on the treetops, hoping to see the owl that was spotted the day before.

I marvelled at how pristine the trails were. Fresh snow and recently groomed, it was a very comfortable ride.

Until my husband slowed the machine to an abrupt stop.

He cursed.

“What is it?” I called, thinking the engine blew a belt or something.

“The tunnel bag is gone!”

I turned around to see that our travel bag was no longer attached to the back of our machine.

He quickly texted our friends that we were turning around to look for the lost bag. Then we maneuvered a mid-trail turnaround and took off back the same way we had come.

I didn’t hold much hope in discovering our travel bag. We had driven 70 kms (44 miles) across lakes, through forests, and along roads.

I looked back and forth along the trail hoping to spy the black bag. We flagged down every snowmobiler who passed us by to ask if they had spotted it.

No luck.

I began to pray fervently. Not only was the bag itself an expensive piece but we stored other important snowmobile tools in there. I also had my favourite hat and scarf in the bag.

Midway across Trout Lake we spotted two sleds that were parked beside a directional sign. My hubby drove up close to ask them about our bag.

“Yes! We found your bag. We saw it in the middle of the trail so we moved it to a safe place on the side. It’s quite a far way back.”

Then they described the location and even showed us the exact spot on a map.

It was only by coincidence (or rather God-incidence) that we met them on the trail in the middle of a large lake.

We got back on our sled and drove directly to the spot they told us about.

“There it is!”

Relief and joy flooded my senses.

We attached the bag to the back of our machine, checked the latches to make sure it was secure and headed back to our hotel.

It was there that I discovered that the couple who found our bag had immediately posted pictures of it on Facebook in the Ontario OFSC And Quebec Trail Conditions group asking if anyone lost it.

13 people shared the post!

I smiled when I saw the outpouring of responses. Such a supportive community of sledders.

I truly appreciated the couple from Stouffville who took the time to stop their trip, pick up our travel bag, move it to the side of the trail and off the snow, take pictures, upload a map location, and post to Facebook.

Although we never did make it to the Mica Mines that day, it was an adventure I won’t soon forget.

Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you (Matthew 7:12 NLT)

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