RE-Claiming that Lost Treasure!

Jesus, leaving the 99 sheep to seek after and find the 1 lost sheep, amazes me every time I read this scripture.

However, I could remember it almost like yesterday I could not find that one sandal… again! Just a couple of years earlier, I misplaced a beautiful set of formal black heels my husband bought me. Never finding them, I vowed I would be more careful going forward in putting my shoes carefully away.  However, on this day, searching all over the house, having just returned from our vacation from Virginia, I was sure, I must have slipped them off under the bed having arrived back late at home. Searching under the bed frantically, then in my closet, I let it go for a few days until I remembered that I wanted to wear them again, though I still had not located them.

So, days later and then weeks later when I wanted to wear these new sandals (that I just bought this year) once again tried to locate the mysteriously missing sandal to my new pair!  I searched under the bed more carefully this time around, then in my closet, next downstairs, then to every kid’s room, in the shoe bins of each of my kids’ rooms, but still could not find it. I even went so far as to call the rental car company we rented the van from to travel out of state to see if maybe it was in the van that we returned.  After they confirmed that no lost and found sandals were left in any of the rentals or lost and found, my husband insisted that I just buy another pair of the same shoe.

However, in my own stubborn way, I wanted to wait again to search the same areas around my home. And I must admit without exaggeration, I had repeated this search in the most detail way at least 10 times to no avail of finding the matching shoe.

What was it in me that did not want to give up on this one sandal?  I can only imagine it must have been like the Lord and the parable of the one lost sheep in Luke 15:1-7 or the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32, each having significant and unique value more than what appeared to the eye.

Those during Jesus’ time on earth understood that when a sheep wandered, the overseer was left with no other choice of recourse but to search until he found it. The thought was not “if”, but “when” He would find it. The safekeeping of the remaining ninety-nine was secondary to the priority of saving the one.

But for me it wasn't even about having to spend more money on another set of shoes, it was more about finding that one sandal that I knew I should have kept in my possession. It had only been a few months earlier in my haste of things I had similarly misplaced my diamond ring something of great value that slipped off my finger given to me by my husband over 22 years ago. Likewise, I frantically searched going back to each store I visited that day. Surely it must have slipped off my finger while I was lifting and lowering cards in the Hallmark card holder section of the store. To no avail I struggled for days and tried to remember where it could be. Pacing the parking lot, our house, and my car, I reflected more than anything not over the monetary value -though worth a great price, but the sentimental value of what that ring meant to me that I began to mourn over. Thankfully one of my sons discovered, soon after, my treasured wedding ring that lay safely in the middle of our upstairs hallway where it must have slipped off!

I realized reflecting back, that we as human beings have truly been made in the image and heart of our Lord, for the very fact that we hate to lose something of great sentimental value. In other words we will stop everything, our routine of the day no matter how big or small the priorities lined up, to find that item that is special and precious to us. Even if we have the option of easily replacing it with another, our goal is all too often to find THAT lost item.

Once again, I'm reminded of how our Lord must grieve when one of his own goes missing- when we go missing in action, individually pull away from Him- much like on a much smaller scale we sorrow over losing a sentimentally prized ring or become frustrated at the misplacement of a favorite new shoe.

The Bible speaks of how we are just like sheep, because we too have all gone awry. Yet God, in all His great mercy, goes on an exhaustive journey to seek after the hard-hearted that has wandered, to mend His loving relationship to the one who has turned away. A humbling endeavor? Yes. But God comes not only as our Lord but as our loving Shepherd.

Jesus’s mission here was to “seek and to save that which is lost,” a role that highlights our very lives the moment He found us in our initial lost state. And the reason we have this same heart to not give up on something lost, is that this seek and find responsibility is an inherited trait as well as built into our DNA. That grace I have discovered is the same grace that we have been entrusted to demonstrate to others...even those who may have betrayed and hurt us in the past. Though this epiphany began with a lost sandal and continued through my losing and finding my ring, I am learning that to be filled with the Shepherd’s love and have His heart; includes me actively seeking the Lord and through that heart actively seeking out the lost, scared, and stubborn hearted in people who have turned to their own way.

I'm reminded that His love is so great, that he still seeks after us even when we don't seek after Him! I'm reminded of his unfailing grace and mercy, when we mess up over and over again through a weakness or shortcoming! How much more can we be children of God that remember the Lord, in those times when we are tempted to pull away!

I purpose in my heart to draw close to Him today, as He always seeking for us to have a greater/richer relationship back with Him.

Would you agree with me in prayer?

“Lord I Thank You for Your unfailing Grace. I thank you for your undying love that continually pursues and persists to seek after us…. after your own. That you desire to, guard, guide, and provide for us in every way every day.  I pray that I would continually to recognize that great treasure I have in my active relationship with you. Keep me close that I not take lightly the pursuit that I am to have in you. I pray that I would press in even the more when circumstances are not going my way. I desire to know you in all that your ways. I choose you in my heart, and I thank you for your matchless love and grace that only you can provide through your precious Son, in Jesus' mighty name!” Amen.

It's the Little Things....It Really Is!

It was Monday morning, again!

I pushed the covers off and on this particular day I mistakenly let the minutes tick away more quickly than other days, and having seen the girls off for school....I lost track of time to the point I did not get in the Word and prayer that AM before leaving as I usually do!

Normally, I make sure I allot time for my morning devotions: reflection, prayer, and the Word. However, this morning was different, as I ripped around the house grabbing my water bottle, workout bag, towel, etc.

This was the one day I did not keep my priorities in order, AND this was the one morning a student came into one of my fitness classes that I was teaching at the gym, and the demeanor and attitude was so heavy, and checked out from this person, that I allowed it to affect my level of energy I had that day. Having rushed about my day without surrendering to the Word and prayer, I allowed another person's attitude to hamper the joy and zeal, I brought to the class! And even though this person stood behind 49 plus other enthusiastically cheering people ready to workout, all I could focus on was the one negative person, amazingly!

And so it is true as the phrase is stated from scripture... it's the little foxes who spoil the vine (Song of Solomon 2:15). And, so much more easily so, when our vine is not rooted and connected to the source (God) the way it should be for our vine's identity, and source of strength!

And similarly as it is in real life....we can often let the small things in life distract from the big picture that God has for us- ultimately missing out on what God would have us be in that moment for someone in need when we are not focused on Him!

Perhaps I could have shared a specific word of encouragement to the student before or after class that day. Perhaps he/she was simply having a bad day as many of us can have at any given time.... None of that unfortunately crossed my mind at the time, because instead of focusing on helping others in thrive mode, I was stuck in survive mode becoming very self-consumed!

I ended up making it through that class! 😉 But I also had the sting of a reminder to not let another day go by, without considering the Lord first in my day, and in my daily devotion with Him. How truly we need him everyday and in every way!

I purpose in my heart today to keep my priorities straight to seek the Lord early on during the first part of my day AND often throughout the day. To invite Him in on my daily decisions AND into my thought life! How about you?

If you agree, pray this prayer with me: "Lord help me to continually purpose in my heart to seek you first, to seek you fervently and sincerely from the heart. Not out of duty, and not out of a rote way of marking a task off my list, but out of sincerity and a desire to relationally know you and be found in you even the more. Help me to grow deeper Lord, that I desire to know your voice and your face (who you are), over your hand and what only you can do for me."

I pray this now in your precious son Jesus' Name. Amen!

The Word of the Day is HOPE!

Hope. Such a simple 4 letter word, yet timely important reminder that we never lose the simplicity of HOPE in our lives. You know the Bible says hope thou in God...

The Word "hope" is actually found in at least 105 verse(s), 40 chapter (s) and 28 book(s). It causes me to pause and think - if it's mentioned that many times in the Bible, and is that important to God it ought to be that important to us! 

It is so easy to look around and see the negative climate of our world... politically, emotionally and even spiritually, and be discouraged in a time where there are so many walls that seek to divide us as a human race!

However, Psalm 42:11, states

"Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."

When we intentionally choose to focus on the hope that the Lord has put in our hearts and maintaining it, we can begin to walk with unshakable faith as faithful disciples of the Word.

Purposing in my heart today to keep hope alive in my heart. Not through it being another neat cliche', or an action misplaced in things, and/or people, but HOPE that is ALIVE in God!

I Hope and pray you are encouraged to do the same. Be blessed on today! \0/