I have appreciation for the Biblical parables in Luke 15, regarding finding something that is lost. Jesus speaks of great rejoicing in Heaven when a lost sheep is found, and when a lost coin is found, and maybe most importantly when a lost son is found.
I have a heart for animals in distress and I personally now know the joy of finding and being able to return one of God’s creatures to safety and good health to be tremendously rewarding. I just “rescued” a precious little “morkie” (a maltese/yorkie mix) who was found on the streets in Fresno, California and then shipped to an Ohio Rescue group, can you believe? Marley is a ten pound, four year old who must have been lost because I can’t imagine that anyone would have intentionally left her to fend for herself; at least I hope that is the case. She is spunky and smart and amazingly sweet. I feel blessed to have her! My heart aches for all the animals that have died in the tragic fires of California and recently Australia, as well as other natural disasters in the world. I feel the pain of seeing lost pet photos stapled to telephone poles or taped in store windows. Jesus said that the shepherd, who has 100 sheep but loses just one, will rejoice over that one found sheep just as the angels in Heaven rejoice when a sinner repents.
I’ve lost money, too. I have searched through every fold of my billfold and zipped pockets in my purse, as well as coat pockets, and jeans’ pockets – even places that I know it wouldn’t be, desperately looking for an elusive $20 that perhaps was dropped accidentally in the parking lot or in the grocery isle, unnoticed. I know the absolute delight to find a bill in a jacket I haven’t worn lately or tucked in with some important papers! We used to collect pennies and dimes with my son many years ago. It was always exciting to find that one “specific” year that we were missing in the coin book. Jesus said that when the woman who had lost one silver coin found it, she called her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her just as the angels in Heaven rejoice when a sinner repents.
I also have “lost” a son. It is heartbreaking for me to say that I am estranged from my adult son. How easy it is to weave tangled webs even in our most precious relationships! This separation is not my choice and I have asked for reconciliation, but I can’t force it. If he appears one day at my front door before I die, I will shout it from the housetop and welcome him with open arms. Truly, I can imagine the utter joy that the Biblical father felt when he saw on the road and ran to greet his returning young son, who had left home and squandered his inheritance. He prepared a banquet in his honor and explained that a celebration was needed to welcome the son because “he was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found”. Even so, the angels in Heaven rejoice when a sinner repents!