We moved into our Blue Springs house in August. Ever since then, we have been unable to find an important family picture, a framed succession of school pictures of one of our children. I love being able to see how my children have grown up year-by-year, and I missed this picture deeply. On Memorial Day, Andy insisted on cleaning out our garage over my protests. (I had to be at church for most of that day, and so I wanted to relax beforehand.) He handed me only one box to sort through, a box that I walk past every time I come into the house. Lo and behold, there was the picture! I am thrilled to be able to once again see all three of my children’s school pictures on the wall!
On the same day, the Early Response Team from FUMC was in Joplin, MO. Having been trained in chainsaw and other important skills, they had been invited down in the early days of the tornado recovery. One of their tasks was to try to locate someone on the “missing” list. As they drove to the location of where that person’s house had been, I’m sure they must have been wondering what they might find. What they found was that person driving into their driveway at the same time as them, probably unaware that people were searching for them. Lo and behold, the lost was found! Today’s headline announces that the list of missing persons stands now at 0. “A huge weight of uncertainty has been lifted from the shoulders of this community,” said the governor. Great rejoicing!
And Jesus tells the story of the woman who lost a coin and kept searching until she found it, then threw a party because she was so happy. And the shepherd who left 99 sheep behind to find the one. Those stories sound one way when you’re sitting in church, wondering how long until lunch. They sound entirely different when you’ve lost something- or someone- or been lost yourself.
