Joy In Finding Lost Things

Yesterday, my son, Tim, found a white, feminine, crocheted tuque inside our couch downstairs. He came upstairs wearing it and said, "Finders keepers!"

Actually, the tuque belongs to the young girl who visited us at Christmas. The young girl told me that a neighbour lady made it specially for her, so I reprimanded my son for wearing it. Although, Tim is defiant and determined to keep it, I will mail it to the girl next week.

"I found it! It's mine!"

I enjoying finding lost things. It brings me great joy. I think Tim had some joy too, as well as some fun, when he found the young girl's tuque.

The Bible says that God and the angels all rejoice when one lost sinner comes to God and repents, because each person on earth is valuable in the eyes of God.

To explain Heaven's joy when a lost soul is saved, Jesus told the parable of a woman who had ten silver coins but loses one. She searches carefully all over her house for the lost coin, and when she finds it, she calls all her friends and neighbours together to celebrate. There is that much joy in the woman's heart, and also in the heart of God, when what was once lost is found.

"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one.

Doesn't she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?

 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbours together and says,

 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.'

In the same way, I tell you,

there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God

 over one sinner who repents."

Luke 15:8-10

When a sheep goes astray, the rest of the flock should follow this woman's example and do everything they can to find the lost and bring him/her back to the Shepherd. In other words, a church should never turn its back on a rebellious teen, a wayward adult, or a disheartened or disgraced pastor who leaves the ministry. Instead, a church should turn on all the lights in the building, go out into the streets and highways, and search carefully for the one who is lost, doing everything they can to bring that person back to God and His family. If the church did this, I believe there would be a lot less people in the world who once knew God and are no longer serving Him.