I lost one of my earrings the other day, which isn’t unusual. I was instantly reminded that my Mom always said…” Nothing is lost, it just hasn’t been found yet.” I’m still waiting for quite a few pieces of jewelry to be found based on her belief. I think she is right. It has been my own experience.
When I was about 10 years old, while my Dad was pastoring the First Baptist Church of Anaheim, California, I got lost. Our church had a big picnic at one of the local parks in Anaheim after our Sunday service. I loved being with all the people from my church. I was running and playing with my friends without regard for what was happening around me. I asked my mom if I could go home with a family I often stayed with. She shook her head “yes” as she shooed me away to play. As a 10-year-old often does, I failed to follow through with telling this family I was going with them.
I’m not sure exactly how this happened, but as I happily ran, I turned around in my merry world and I was alone in the park as darkness set in. I had on a Mickey Mouse T-shirt and blue jean cut-off shorts. If you are familiar with Southern California, you know the days are warm but the nights get cold. I was alone and cold. I was stunned by my lostness!
How in the world did everyone I loved leave me here? Why didn’t someone notice? Tears instantly flowed down my dusty face. I could taste them. I didn’t even have a dime to call anyone; besides, they were all at night church. Who would even answer? I sat on a concrete picnic table that was only hours ago filled with delicious food, my family, and my church family. I looked around and tried to figure out what in the world I was going to do. I had no idea where this park was in relation to my church. There were very few people at the park, and the ones I saw filled me with fear. I did the only thing I knew to do … I put my face in my hands and wept as I silently cried for God to please send someone to find me. I knew it had been quite a few hours, but it seemed even longer as I sat alone in the darkness.
As I sat crying, I heard a far-off but familiar voice calling my name – the voice of my father. I found out later that as he was preaching that evening service, he scanned the congregation and couldn’t find my face – the face of his oldest daughter. He stopped preaching and said, “Has anyone seen Sheri? He called my name out loud, but he was met with silence. Then he quickly left the service with some of the other men of the church and drove to the last place he had seen me – the city park.
I saw the familiar figure of my father running towards me. I ran to him as he engulfed me in his strong arms and said, “I found you!” I asked, as I hugged him tightly, “How could you leave me?” He said, “As soon as I realized you were missing, I came to find you, and I wasn’t going to stop until I did.”
My father found me. I was no longer lost.
I was eight years old when The Father found me. I asked Jesus to save me from my condition … a condition we were all once in… sin. My life was forever changed, and I know I will never be lost again. The Bible speaks so much about being lost and our need for a Savior. He came to seek and save those who are lost! That’s how much God loves us that He sent His only son, Jesus, to rescue us.
Just Jesus,
Sheri Langley
*Matthew 18:12-14 “ Jesus tells a parable about a shepherd who leaves ninety-nine sheep to find the one who is lost.”
*Ezekiel 34:16 “I will seek that which is lost, and bring again that which was driven away.”
*Luke 19:10 ” For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.”
STORYPEACE 