LOST-AND-FOUND

The dictionary defines lost-and-found as “a place where lost items are kept to await reclaiming by their owners.” What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a lost-and-found? For me, it is a place of mostly worthless items that no one cared enough about to go searching for. It is a land of misfits; a single glove, a tattered book or a lone earring. Not much value there right? UNLESS you are searching for that glove because it was a gift by someone dear to you or the tattered book was a Bible handed down through your family’s generations or that earring was one of a set given to you on your wedding day…then these are no longer misfits without meaning. They have suddenly become priceless treasures and the lost-and-found has been transformed from a refuse laden waiting room into a place of infinite worth.

The worth of something is often demonstrated by the efforts of a person to locate, possess or protect it.

If someone were willing to fly around the world to locate a missing portrait wouldn’t that make it valuable?

If someone were willing to sell everything they had to possess a particular document, wouldn’t that make it a treasure?

If someone were willing to donate their kidney to protect another’s life, wouldn’t that mean they were cherished?

I think we’d all agree that this portrait, document and person had incredible value at least to those who were willing to sacrifice whatever was needed to locate, possess or protect them. To others these may be insignificant since up to that point no one cared enough about them to search or sacrifice…but now their worth is unquestionable.

Well I believe this earth…this country…this corner of our world is like a huge lost-and-found; filled with people who might be considered insignificant “misfits”; since thus far, no one cared enough to search for them and bring them home.

But what if someone were to travel from beyond one end of the universe to the other to locate something far removed, would that make it valuable?

What if someone was willing to set aside untold riches and glory to once again hold close something that was cherished, would that make it a treasure? 

What if someone were willing to give up their life to save another life, would that make that life precious?

In all of these cases I believe our hearts would cry a resounding yes. Well, Someone did. Jesus stepped down from heaven to find that which was “lost”. He set aside the glories and riches of heaven to hold close those who had wandered far away. He sacrificed His own life to redeem those that He loves. And by virtue of that great love and that unimaginable sacrifice each human being has been catapulted from the mundane and ordinary into the precious and cherished.  And because of that great worth this earth we live on is transformed from an ordinary holding bin that houses the soon-to-be discarded into a treasure trove of priceless jewels that were purchased at an inestimable cost. Our worth is immeasurable for who can put a value on the very life of God Himself?!

No, this earth is no longer a land of misfits for Someone has deemed us worthy of being pursued! This world has become just what the dictionary describes as “a place where lost items are kept to await reclaiming by their owners.” Think about it precious ones! For all eternity our value will safely rest in that we have been called the Sought; worthy of love, worthy of sacrifice! We ARE the lost and the found! We are those who had wandered far from the Father who loves us…and He sought us and He bought us at an incredible price and WE. ARE. HIS!

So what are we to do with that knowledge? At least two things:

One, we should love Him all the more. That He could take a little girl who was ordinary and broken and that He could bestow on her great value, makes my heart swell with love for Him. That He could see everything about me and somehow despite it all could love me, simply defies my understanding but it increases my love and appreciation! Unconditional love and selfless sacrifice when seen for what they really are cannot help but be reciprocated; for to truly know His love causes us to love Him back. To taste, to experience His great eternal love changes who we are and automatically increases our ability to love Him back, for we cannot give what we’ve never known or possessed; but instead it should be like an everlasting circle of love!

Two, we should recognize our own value and the incredible value of others.  But instead often when we look in the mirror and when see others we see extra-ordinary and we walk right on by. How many people do we misjudge as extra-ordinary when God has deemed them as extraordinary works of art?

 Oh that we would see that His sacrificial love makes each of us valuable! I can’t begin to understand what He could see in me that would give me great value and yet somehow I am a masterpiece because I am a piece of the Master. And YOU are His masterpiece because you too are a piece of the Master. “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are…” I John 3:1
Created in His image.
Given life to be eternally loved.
Redeemed at a great price.
The once lost have now become the found…rescued by a love so great, it will take all eternity to explore and express it! Glory to God!

Papa God,
We give thanks for an eternal, unconditional love that we cannot fully grasp and for a divine sacrifice that transforms us from mere insignificance to infinite worth. We will gladly spend our lives exploring and expressing your great love. Give us not only eyes to see those in our world as precious…but also give us hearts that are willing to seek out those that have wandered far from the Father who loves them and point the way back to Him. In Jesus Name~Amen