Reason #488
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home." - Luke 15:4-6
We stayed in Dallas the night before we flew out for our honeymoon. We thought it would be easiest to stay at the hotel in the DFW airport so that we wouldn't have any trouble getting to and from the airport to catch our flight. Plus, it would save us a lot of time. We pulled into the parking garage and decided we would park in the 2 hour parking, as we knew we'd be heading to dinner within that amount of time. Into the hotel we went to change and freshen up. About an hour later we were headed back out with dinner plans already made. We walked across the street and straight to our parking spot only to realize our car wasn't where we had left it.
Aaron and I were both 100% sure this was where we parked. We knew our minds hadn't failed us as we both remembered the exact spot we left our car. In fact, we even re-traced our steps into the building and so we were convinced we were right. Since our car was no where to be found, the first conclusion we came to was that it had been towed. Upon further discussion, we decided that we hadn't been inside longer than 2 hours, therefore, if it hadn't been towed, it must have been stolen. Well, neither option sounded very appealing and we began to panic a bit.
We found an airport parking employee who assured us that cars are not generally towed unless they've been parking in the 2 hour parking for days. He told us that there were multiple levels and asked if we were certain that we were on the right level. What kind of question was that? Of course we were certain. And so this nice man strolled through the garage with us and guided us to a help booth after little success of locating our car. As the man on the other end of the help line did his best to help us, I had a clever thought. Aaron, in full on worry mode, was not in a joking mood. I couldn't help it. I had to say it. Quietly, so the other man wouldn't hear me, I said, "Our Rogue (which is the name of the car) has gone rogue!" But even still we weren't going to stop looking for it. They assured us that the car was still on the premises and so we decided to venture up a level even though it seemed like a lost cause.
Floor 2 - no success. And so before heading back down to where we began, we decided we'd just try one more floor for grins. Floor 3 just so happened to be identical to floor 1. Right there, on floor 3, right where we guessed, where we had actually left it, there was our car. And so, after spending a good twenty minutes frantically searching for our car, we breathed out our anxiety, had a little laugh at ourselves, and we headed off to dinner.
Things of value are worth the search. You don't give up and stop looking for something that has worth to you. Something you need, something you value, something you cherish. You search for it. High and low and you don't give up until you locate it. And even if it seems like you're getting no where, you keep looking. You keep going after it. And even though it was just a car, it reminded me of Jesus' pursuit of us. Because, to Him, we are valuable. We have so much worth that He's not okay with just giving up on us. He's not okay with letting us wander off or allowing us to be lost. He looks for us. He'll do whatever it takes to find us, and when you find something you've been searching for, what relief and joy there is. Gratitude, too. And how exciting when something that was lost has been found!
And so I am thankful that He found me. That He sought me out, pursued me, and didn't stop searching until I was no longer lost. I'm so grateful to serve a God who, when He find us, will always bring us back home!
#488 - Because He pursues us until we are no longer lost anymore!
“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 neighbors 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
We stayed in Dallas the night before we flew out for our honeymoon. We thought it would be easiest to stay at the hotel in the DFW airport so that we wouldn't have any trouble getting to and from the airport to catch our flight. Plus, it would save us a lot of time. We pulled into the parking garage and decided we would park in the 2 hour parking, as we knew we'd be heading to dinner within that amount of time. Into the hotel we went to change and freshen up. About an hour later we were headed back out with dinner plans already made. We walked across the street and straight to our parking spot only to realize our car wasn't where we had left it.
Aaron and I were both 100% sure this was where we parked. We knew our minds hadn't failed us as we both remembered the exact spot we left our car. In fact, we even re-traced our steps into the building and so we were convinced we were right. Since our car was no where to be found, the first conclusion we came to was that it had been towed. Upon further discussion, we decided that we hadn't been inside longer than 2 hours, therefore, if it hadn't been towed, it must have been stolen. Well, neither option sounded very appealing and we began to panic a bit.
We found an airport parking employee who assured us that cars are not generally towed unless they've been parking in the 2 hour parking for days. He told us that there were multiple levels and asked if we were certain that we were on the right level. What kind of question was that? Of course we were certain. And so this nice man strolled through the garage with us and guided us to a help booth after little success of locating our car. As the man on the other end of the help line did his best to help us, I had a clever thought. Aaron, in full on worry mode, was not in a joking mood. I couldn't help it. I had to say it. Quietly, so the other man wouldn't hear me, I said, "Our Rogue (which is the name of the car) has gone rogue!" But even still we weren't going to stop looking for it. They assured us that the car was still on the premises and so we decided to venture up a level even though it seemed like a lost cause.
Floor 2 - no success. And so before heading back down to where we began, we decided we'd just try one more floor for grins. Floor 3 just so happened to be identical to floor 1. Right there, on floor 3, right where we guessed, where we had actually left it, there was our car. And so, after spending a good twenty minutes frantically searching for our car, we breathed out our anxiety, had a little laugh at ourselves, and we headed off to dinner.
Things of value are worth the search. You don't give up and stop looking for something that has worth to you. Something you need, something you value, something you cherish. You search for it. High and low and you don't give up until you locate it. And even if it seems like you're getting no where, you keep looking. You keep going after it. And even though it was just a car, it reminded me of Jesus' pursuit of us. Because, to Him, we are valuable. We have so much worth that He's not okay with just giving up on us. He's not okay with letting us wander off or allowing us to be lost. He looks for us. He'll do whatever it takes to find us, and when you find something you've been searching for, what relief and joy there is. Gratitude, too. And how exciting when something that was lost has been found!
And so I am thankful that He found me. That He sought me out, pursued me, and didn't stop searching until I was no longer lost. I'm so grateful to serve a God who, when He find us, will always bring us back home!
#488 - Because He pursues us until we are no longer lost anymore!
“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 neighbors 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