Lost and Found

This post is written by my dear hubby (a big thank you to him)....enjoy!

Monday Kyle lost his retainer for the second time in two weeks (did I mention that he’s only had the retainer for four weeks?).  Ugh.  After diligent searching he ended up finding the $150 prize under the seat of our van.  I can’t say that I know for certain  how it got there, but I can say for certain that we were all thankful that the 45 minute search ended happily.  Have you ever noticed that lost items are always the last place you look?

In Luke chapter 8, Jesus told us something about His passion for the lost. He said, “Suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it?”  What a fuss over a single lost coin!  Why was the woman in this parable willing to sweep the entire house?  There’s only one reason I can think of.  It’s because that coin mattered to her.  As I thought about this last night I realized that we were willing to spent extended time and effort searching for Kyle’s retainer for that same singular reason reason.  It is valuable to us.

Why does God search so desperately for those who are lost?  Because they matter to Him. Monday we heard Lyssa and her team offering a summary of how God worked in and through them during her Mexico mission this summer.  Our hearts were pierced when we heard (anew) the story of our daughter and her friends praying with a couple to receive Christ as savior.  As their dad how my heart longs for my daughter and son to always have a heart that is broken for lost people.  May God consistently use them to bring His light into the darkness.  Being lost doesn’t make someone less valuable.  In fact, because they’re so valuable, God is on a rescue mission.  I pray my kids are always tender to the spiritual condition of others around them.

Heavenly Father, I praise you for seeking me when I was lost.  Thank you for seeing value in my life and for the joy of being found.  How I pray that You will direct Lyssa and Kyle to always have a heart that is open to other people.  May they be Your mouthpiece, Your hands, Your heart and Your feet to turn the place upside down in search for beloved and lost souls.  I pray you would fill their hearts with true zeal, love and care for others and I pray you will always give them opportunities and the empowerment they need to direct others to Yourself.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.