Lost Things Word on the Week 27th January 2024.
One of the features in this life of ours that will increase as the years go by is the propensity to lose things! The other thing is the gravity of the losses seem to increase in importance till finding the lost thing becomes crucial to our peace of mind!
There is the case of the illusive keys. They have a habit of turning up in the most unlikely of places. The search goes through the list of hiding places, pockets of clothes recently worn usually bringing about the desired result.
Those of us who depend on pills to keep the body functioning as normal will know just how they can leap out of their container and hide in the cracks in the floor. They resemble each other and once they escape from their plastic mould it requires a magnifying glass to distinguish their identity!
Perhaps the most unpleasant of all losses is when you lose the proverbial ‘it’. It usually means that you are out of control. The self-control mechanisms are malfunctioning and you are on a rant! The remedy can be hard to find. My favourite comes from the old ‘Snoopy’ cartoon where the ‘Bear’ suggests to the ranting Snoopy, “somebody needs to stick his head in a bucket of iced water”!
I remember, in the days before smartphones, the farmer returning home after a successful day selling cattle at the mart, to find he had lost the wife! A hasty retracing of the journey ensued. The reunited pair doubtless had much to discuss on the journey home!
Jesus came into the world to “seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19 verse 10). He spoke famously of the lost son (Luke 15 verses 11 to 32). In this case it was not only the body but the soul of the son that was lost. He had determined to depart from his roots following the advice of the psalmist who quoted what the fool said in his heart “no God for me” (Psalm 14 verse 1).
This led the Prodigal into all sorts of trouble and it does the same today for those who try to live a life apart from God. These thoughts come from the lost person’s heart (Mark 7 verses 20 to 23). But there is forgiveness for the one who turns from them and trusts Jesus who came to seek and to save the lost Luke 19 verse 10).
The next time you lose something remind yourself that being found by Jesus is of far greater importance as it is valid for this life and the next.