“…‘Rejoice with me for I have found the piece which I lost.” Luke 15:9

The last two weeks have been extremely busy as we moved into the new food bank building. After six years in a storage unit, what a joy it is now to have so much open space.   Light pours like honey through the windows everywhere. When people come in, they look up and around in surprise. Through the hard work and kindness of others, God’s blessed us with a beautiful permanence. Moving is hard work, however. It takes a lot of concentration, coordination and commitment to get the job done. I’ve been tired and distracted.

On Thursday I came home after one of those days when the To Do List was longer at the end of the day than in the morning. Needing 30 quiet minutes with the Lord, I opened the Psalms, those poetic Scriptures which always calm my spirit. Then I happened to glance at my right hand and suddenly felt sick. My hand looked oddly naked. My opal ring was gone.

The ring could have fallen off any where: into the gravel outside the new building, around the old storage units, at the grocery store, even in one of the recycling bins, under my car.  I’d been all over McCall. I had no recollection of taking it off as I sometimes do absentmindedly. It had never simply fallen off my finger before. My mind was completely blank. I wouldn’t know where to look for it.

The ring is very special. It was a gift from Dan for our tenth anniversary. I’ve worn it forty years now. The band’s a little misshapen and worn from daily use, but I cherish the ring. The circlet  holds memories of our life together, the ordinary, the terrible, and the blessed. I had trouble sleeping on Thursday night as I tried to remember what I’d been doing the last 24 hours. Then, I prayed a prayer. “Lord, nothing in this universe is hidden from You. Why, You know the very hairs on my head. Surely, You see exactly where my ring is. Please show me.“

During the night, I had a brief, clear image of myself washing my hands and drying them on a paper towel. I’d gone to Bible study at the New Meadows library, had washed my hands and thrown the paper towel in the trash basket. Was it possible that God was showing me the ring? I wanted to believe.

I really wanted to believe God cared, but the enemy tormented. “Really? Fat chance. God doesn’t get that personal, especially with you.” Etc, etc., etc. In night time prayers of desperation, my faith can be very strong . It’s when God actually starts the process of answering my prayers, that my faith wobbles.

The next morning I called the library before it opened and left a cryptic voice mail not to throw out the trash!   As soon as possible, I found the librarian to explain my plight but unfortunately, she had not gotten my message.   “See? It’s already in the dumpster,” the ugly voice sneered. “This whole thing is ridiculous. Do you seriously think you heard God directing you?”

The trash basket was still filled with wadded paper towels, cups, and assorted junk. I unfolded the top  layer of towels carefully, the ones I’d probably used. Nothing. Half way through the mess, there was still no ring. The voice never stopped mocking me. “Fool. Dan will be so upset with you.” Finally, there was only one paper towel left in the bottom and as I reached in, I heard the metal clink. The blue green opal caught the light and shone up from the bottom. My lost treasure was found. God had directed me. The enemy was a liar. I cried and the librarian was tearful. I seem to cry a lot lately in His Presence and Love.

This is about losing and finding my special treasure, but it’s more than that. I believe God wants His children to have precious things and He doesn’t want us to lose them. He greatly desires to give us what our hearts desire and takes joy in what brings us joy. The treasure might be a valuable piece of jewelry or it may only be a sentimental trinket. It might be a dream or talent or gift.   Possibly it’s a friend you dearly love.   Children and   grandchildren are precious treasures. So is health and an abundant life. Whatever brings lightness to the heart or Light to the world is a treasure we are to guard carefully.

Sometimes those treasures get lost – and then parts of our souls also feel lost. When I lost my ring, I felt disoriented , dislocated and lost as well because the ring was a piece of my marriage. How much greater is our sense of being lost when a child goes missing or health is gone or someone walks away.

In the parable of the lost coin, Jesus describes the persistent woman who would not give up until she had found the coin she had lost. It was the most valuable thing she had. It might have been all she owned for herself. When she found the coin, she called everyone to rejoice with her.

When something or someone precious gets lost, don’t give up searching until that person or thing is found again. Most of all, when God answers your prayer to find the lost treasure, fix your heart and mind on His Word, His direction, His promise. Have faith that God is very real and very personal. His still small Voice will always silence the jeering, jarring noise of the accuser. Ask in faith and you will receive that which is lost to you. Then when your treasure is returned to you, rejoice as the woman did. Praise God and tell of His wondrous deeds.

EAG