Lost & Found

Two weeks ago I made a couple of pairs of earrings for myself on my day off. I really prefer to wear things I've made myself. Usually when I wear fish hook earrings, I put little stoppers on the back. I know my children can wear that type of earring all day without one coming out, but I always come up missing one.

Anyway, last week I wore one pair for the first time. What made me think I wouldn't loose one without a back on it? I guess I was running late that morning and didn't want to take the time. Sure enough, by 10:00 I noticed that one ear was bare. I searched my office, the parking lot, the preschool area (I had taken something over there), my car, the yard between the house and the car, everywhere I could think of. No luck. I was bummed. I didn't have any more hooks just like the one remaining, so I couldn't just make another one that would match. I put the singleton in my wallet and decided to hope for the best.

Forward to this past Sunday night. I came over to the office after church to get something. I went into the workroom and moved an empty paper box so I could reach a shelf, and, lo, there was my earring on the floor under the box. I was so excited I forgot what I originally went in there for!

I told everyone that I saw for the rest of the evening! I now know just what the folks were feeling in those parables Jesus told about the lost sheep and the lost coin. Why is it so hard to translate that feeling for lost people? Maybe it's because I don't think of them as lost when I can see them right in front of me. Neil talked about the darkness of the PacRim area that they visited because most people had never even heard the name of Jesus. May the Lord help me see the darkness surrounding the lost people I come in contact with.