NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Murfreesboro man has been reunited with his Bible and irreplaceable family photographs after they were stolen from his car and later recovered in another stolen vehicle.
Matt Williams kept his cherished family photographs tucked inside his Bible case, which he stored in his car. When the Bible disappeared on Monday, he feared the precious memories were gone forever.
"I went around to look, and it wasn't there, and I was like, oh no — surely they didn't take the Bible of all things," Williams said.
After discovering the theft, Williams turned to prayer.
"I said a quick prayer; Lord, it breaks my heart. I got a lot of stuff in there that means a lot to me, and I'd like to get it back. But not my will but yours, like you always say," Williams said.
In an unexpected turn of events, the same person who stole Williams' Bible also stole another car, which police later recovered. Inside that vehicle, the thief had left Williams' Bible on the passenger seat right next to the car owner's own Bible.
Sherry McClure posted on social media on behalf of her daughter, asking if the Bible belonged to anyone. The front page made identifying its owner easy, as Williams had received it during a mission trip in the summer of 1999.
"God says not even a sparrow falls from the sky that he doesn't know about and doesn't notice, so apparently not a Bible gets stolen from a car in a driveway that he doesn't notice and respond to as well," Williams said.
When the families met to return the Bible, McClure reflected on the unusual circumstances. Williams immediately made digital copies of the photos after their return.
Both families believe their paths crossing was meant to be, and they are planning to meet again soon for ice cream.
"Most of us out here are good people just trying to get by and live a good life, be happy, be successful and be healthy," Williams said.
This story was reported on-air by Aaron Cantrell and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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