Reason #269
I hate misplacing things. I am very orderly, so it drives me crazy if I can't locate something quickly. Everything has a place in my house, and if that thing is not in its place, I will search high and low until I can find it. Rarely do I lose things.
I had the day off today thanks to Columbus. I enjoyed a leisurely day and spent most of it shopping. I have really great intentions of actually decorating my house for fall this year, but I don't think I'm ever going to get around to it. I have an idea of a fall centerpiece that I want for my kitchen table so I searched high and low for the pieces today. After having no success, I decided I would try two more stores before giving up. I ended up at a shopping strip, went in to the first store and didn't find what I wanted so I headed down to my last stop. These stores are not very far apart, but I decided that I would drive over to the next store instead of walking. It just so happened that I was talking to my mom on the phone so I wasn't paying attention to the fact that I moved my car from one store to the other. After leaving the last store with a new purse rather than fall decor, I walked back down to where I had originally parked. I like to pride myself on always being able to find my car in parking lots. I do a pretty decent job of making a mental note of where I park, so I hardly ever wander around the parking lot looking for my car. I began to head down the row where I expected my car to be parked only to find that it wasn't there. I started walking up and down every single row and couldn't spot it. I dug my keys out of my purse and held down the alarm button but nothing happened. Panic began to set in. I thought maybe I was going crazy. Maybe I was having a momentary memory lapse. After spending a good 5 to 10 minutes aimlessly wandering around the parking lot very confused and concerned, I headed into the first store and called my mom. She asked if I had moved my car, which I swore I hadn't. All I could think about was what I had in my car. Things that may be in someone else's possesion now. Gone, my car, my things... gone. After rationalizing that no one could have stolen my car since I had the keys, she advised me to walk back down to the last store to make sure I hadn't absent-mindedly driven it over there. Well, I am happy to report that she gave me sound advice. I had, in fact, moved my car. I had completely forgotten because I wasn't paying attention when I moved it. I was so relieved when I finally spotted it. My little car, right where I left it.
It's scary to lose your things. It really is. And the idea of someone else taking what is rightfully yours is very unsettling. This has happened to me before. Not with my car, but I've experienced loss. Really, we all have. And it's hard. So you wander around concerned and worried because you don't know what happened. No one ever expects or plans to lose things of value. No one ever thinks it could happen to them, either. And when it does, what do you do? How do you get it back if you don't know where to look for it? So you start somewhere, you trace your steps, you think it through and rationalize it. And here's what I found is most effective, you ask. Seek advice, seek wisdom, and then take it. Because at one time or another, we'll all face it. We may lose something or we may even be the thing that is lost. But don't give up. Don't stop searching and don't stop looking, because when you finally find what you're looking for, when you find exactly what you need, there is great joy in the discovery. And it's worth it. It's worth the searching and seeking. So after you've found it, after you've gained possession of this sought for treasure, hang on to it. Cherish it, appreciate it, hold it close and be thankful. Because sometimes we have to lose things in order to truly apprecaite what we eventually find.
#269 - Because loss can lead to great discovery!
“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin." - Luke 15:8-9
I had the day off today thanks to Columbus. I enjoyed a leisurely day and spent most of it shopping. I have really great intentions of actually decorating my house for fall this year, but I don't think I'm ever going to get around to it. I have an idea of a fall centerpiece that I want for my kitchen table so I searched high and low for the pieces today. After having no success, I decided I would try two more stores before giving up. I ended up at a shopping strip, went in to the first store and didn't find what I wanted so I headed down to my last stop. These stores are not very far apart, but I decided that I would drive over to the next store instead of walking. It just so happened that I was talking to my mom on the phone so I wasn't paying attention to the fact that I moved my car from one store to the other. After leaving the last store with a new purse rather than fall decor, I walked back down to where I had originally parked. I like to pride myself on always being able to find my car in parking lots. I do a pretty decent job of making a mental note of where I park, so I hardly ever wander around the parking lot looking for my car. I began to head down the row where I expected my car to be parked only to find that it wasn't there. I started walking up and down every single row and couldn't spot it. I dug my keys out of my purse and held down the alarm button but nothing happened. Panic began to set in. I thought maybe I was going crazy. Maybe I was having a momentary memory lapse. After spending a good 5 to 10 minutes aimlessly wandering around the parking lot very confused and concerned, I headed into the first store and called my mom. She asked if I had moved my car, which I swore I hadn't. All I could think about was what I had in my car. Things that may be in someone else's possesion now. Gone, my car, my things... gone. After rationalizing that no one could have stolen my car since I had the keys, she advised me to walk back down to the last store to make sure I hadn't absent-mindedly driven it over there. Well, I am happy to report that she gave me sound advice. I had, in fact, moved my car. I had completely forgotten because I wasn't paying attention when I moved it. I was so relieved when I finally spotted it. My little car, right where I left it.
It's scary to lose your things. It really is. And the idea of someone else taking what is rightfully yours is very unsettling. This has happened to me before. Not with my car, but I've experienced loss. Really, we all have. And it's hard. So you wander around concerned and worried because you don't know what happened. No one ever expects or plans to lose things of value. No one ever thinks it could happen to them, either. And when it does, what do you do? How do you get it back if you don't know where to look for it? So you start somewhere, you trace your steps, you think it through and rationalize it. And here's what I found is most effective, you ask. Seek advice, seek wisdom, and then take it. Because at one time or another, we'll all face it. We may lose something or we may even be the thing that is lost. But don't give up. Don't stop searching and don't stop looking, because when you finally find what you're looking for, when you find exactly what you need, there is great joy in the discovery. And it's worth it. It's worth the searching and seeking. So after you've found it, after you've gained possession of this sought for treasure, hang on to it. Cherish it, appreciate it, hold it close and be thankful. Because sometimes we have to lose things in order to truly apprecaite what we eventually find.
#269 - Because loss can lead to great discovery!
“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin." - Luke 15:8-9