It’s truly interesting the way the mind works. Sitting here this morning praying and thinking about what to share I remembered an experience I had when I was about six or seven years old. I had shared this account a few years back on my Facebook page and for whatever reason I feel it’s something the Lord wants me to share again this morning.
Search and Rescue!
There is great comfort in those words but you won’t truly know that feeling of being saved unless you have been genuinely lost. I have!
When I was a small girl my Dad and I went to the grocery store one Saturday morning. My Mom had a short list of things but she was busy at home so Daddy went and I got to tag along. When we got to the store, we began to go up and down each aisle looking for the things on Mom’s list.
I don’t know if I stopped to look at something or if Daddy did but next thing I knew I was alone. I went an aisle over and one back but no Daddy. My heart began to sink and I felt fear coming over me. (Obviously it was real – I can still remember it today some 50+ years later.)
Now I started to panic. Where was he? He was gone and I was all alone. I did have the sense to go outside and see that our car was still there so I knew Daddy wasn’t GONE. I went back inside to search some more, no Daddy. Finally I went to the cash register and told the lady I couldn’t find my Dad.
She was so sweet. She got on the intercom and announced in the store that there was a lost daddy in the store and his little girl was waiting for him at the registers. In just moments I saw my Dad come around the corner. I was found…I was rescued!
Jesus had some good stories to tell about things being lost and then found.
“Then Jesus told them this story: 4 “Suppose one of you has 100 sheep, but one of them gets lost. What will you do? You will leave the other 99 sheep there in the field and go out and look for the lost sheep. You will continue to search for it until you find it. 5 And when you find it, you will be very happy. You will carry it home, go to your friends and neighbors and say to them, ‘Be happy with me because I found my lost sheep!’ 7 In the same way, I tell you, heaven is a happy place when one sinner decides to change. There is more joy for that one sinner than for 99 good people who don’t need to change.
8 “Suppose a woman has ten silver coins, but she loses one of them. She will take a light and clean the house. She will look carefully for the coin until she finds it. 9 And when she finds it, she will call her friends and neighbors and say to them, ‘Be happy with me because I have found the coin that I lost!’ 10 In the same way, it’s a happy time for the angels of God when one sinner decides to change.” Luke 15:3-10 CEV
Well, this is exactly what our heavenly Father is doing for us. Without a relationship with Christ we are lost and God searches for us. I get tickled when I hear the phrase “I found the Lord”. I know what the people mean but God isn’t the one who needed to be found. We are the ones who were lost.
In both of these stories the shepherd and the woman were looking for something that had belonged to them but had gotten lost. They searched diligently until they found it.
I’ve had times when I’ve gotten lost in life. Maybe you have too. Lost in a medical diagnosis or a financial crisis. Sometimes we get lost when we lose a job or a loved one. Possibly we get lost in our own ego and pride. Whatever it is that draws us away, the Father is here and He’s looking for us. He will find us. Just like I saw my dad coming around the corner we’ll see Him coming and we’ll be safe in His arms.
Then there will be a time of great joy. Joy for us and for the Father. How do I know?
Well the story that follows these two examples is one of my favorites in the Bible. It’s about a man with two sons, one of them gets lost in the world and the Father looks for his son each day, waiting for him to come home. When he does come home the Father welcomes him with open arms and throws him a party.
” My son was dead, but now he is alive again! He was lost, but now he is found!’ So they began to have a party.” Luke 15:24 ERV
Search and Rescue complete!