Lost

Today was a day where we dealt with many lost things.  It actually started last night with Danny.  Yesterday, we set up an imaginary campground in our upstairs closet.  We put down a quilt and folded it over and Danny pretend to sleep in his "tent".  In the closet we also had an imaginary lake where he could go swimming and an area for a campfire.  (We have a pretty big upstairs closet.)  While we were playing, Danny found a blankie that he used to call his "taggy" when he was a baby.  He hasn't slept with this blanket since he was probably a year and a half, but he carried it around with him all day yesterday.  At bed time last night, he couldn't find his taggy and he told me that he couldn't sleep without it.  Of course, he was asleep in about 5 minutes, but there were a few minutes of tears until he talked me into lying down beside him.


After he went to sleep, I went downstairs and looked everywhere.  No taggy.  It was very, very odd.  So, I went to bed and got up fairly early this morning to get ready to get our new fridge.  I wanted to get Danny dropped off at daycare before the refrigerator delivery people came, so we got an early start.  I realized after I got home that there was no wallet in my purse.  I had my debit card, but the rest of my wallet was missing.  Again, I scoured the house and could not find the wallet.


The fridge was delivered and the old working fridge is now in my garage.  It's very convenient to have a fridge that is only for soda and water conveniently located so all of the neighborhood children can help themselves.  (That will come to an end tomorrow when I put a lock on it.)  After I stocked that fridge with water, I started looking for my cell phone which was now lost as well.  Again,  I looked everywhere and could not find it.


After this third incident, I thought "Hmm... maybe God is trying to tell me something here."  Because I had such an early start in the day, I hadn't sat down and read my Bible and prayed like I do every morning.  Suspecting that I probably should do that, I took my Bible to my back yard under my favorite tree and started to read.  This is the verse that jumped out at me.  "O LORD, you are my lamp. The LORD lights up my darkness." ~ 2 Samuel 22:29

I got thinking that none of those objects were really lost, they are just in places and God hadn't revealed to me where they are yet.  He hasn't lit my path to them yet.  I know, I know, sort of a corny way of looking at it, right? They were lost to me, but they weren't lost to God and that's a HUGE difference because God can do anything.  If He wants me to find the objects, I will and if He doesn't it's because it's not in His will for me to find them.  So instead of fretting about it, I just prayed about it and went on with my day.  I was still fairly diligent about looking for the objects, but I was no longer in panic mode.  I had a peace that everything would be found or I would have to do a lot of errands tomorrow to get it all replaced.  If that were the case then God would have me run around for Him.  Maybe I would meet someone that I would pray for or maybe someone that I needed to help would cross my path as I sat at the DMV waiting to get my new license.   I started to have an excitement about why I lost these things instead of a dread that they were gone.  God was going to have me go on a mission for HIM.  It really changed my outlook on my day and my mood.  I was thinking, "Hey God, what are you up to now?" instead of "Why me?"


Within 5 minutes of praying, I found both the cell phone and the wallet.  The cell phone was in my bed which was made.  I don't really know how it could have gotten there, but as I was sitting on my bed it started to vibrate.  I jumped about a foot in the air and then I realized someone was calling me.  The wallet was under some dirty towels that I used to clean out the fridge.  Then, we found Danny's taggy just before dinner.  He had left it outside under the porch.  It was a little dirty, but he didn't care.  (I will wash it tomorrow.)





I think sometimes our lives can be like lost objects.  We feel lost, but God knows exactly where we are and where we are going.  You can think of it like you're on a path and it's totally dark outside.  He sometimes gives you a powerful lantern so you can see quite a ways in front of you and sometimes He only gives you a birthday candle and you can barely see your own feet.  Either way, you're not lost, you do the best with what you're given.


Because my life is so up in the air right now, on most days, I feel a little lost.  I feel like I am on a path and I have a match stick to light my way and it keeps going out.  Then I pray and God lights a little more of my path and I keep walking.  But, like the objects that were found today, I know that I am somewhere.  I am in God's plan and until I find my way, I need to trust that He will guide me.  I may feel lost in my own heart, but I know that God knows where I am and where I'm going and that's all that matters.  It's not that I will be found.  I am found and I am loved and cherished by my Creator.