"Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!' In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Luke 15:8-10
Tonight, this woman was me. My car and house key are connected to a small wallet that holds my license, credit cards, cash, etc... I went to Walmart and, in the course of shopping, lost this very critical item along the way. When I realized it, I walked the store looking for it, praying I would find it, but not seeing it anywhere. I went to customer service praying that someone had turned it in. No one was there for what seemed like 30 minutes. During that wait, I continued to pray that it had been found and turned in. I tried to remember all the items I had in my wallet and started thinking about the process of canceling cards, getting replacement IDs, and trying not to get upset or anxious.
Just this morning I listened to a lesson in which Paul told the Corinthian church to have joy when they are faced with trials and struggles; that faith is increased, and character is developed in this process. I decided to thank God for His gifts in my life and determined that, even if my belongings were gone, I would trust His provision for my needs. My stress level immediately lowered, and I thanked God for the message I heard and His preparation of my heart for facing this issue. I focused on the fact that, while losing these items would indeed be a very unpleasant event, it is so small in the grand scheme of life.
About that time, the customer service rep returned and looked behind the counter. After a short search, she pulled out my keys and wallet! I literally had tears as I thanked God! The sweet lady gave me a hug and celebrated God's gift with me! I thank God that someone honest found it and turned it in!
On my drive home, I thought about the story of the lost coin and the rejoicing over it being found. And that the point of the story is really about rejoicing in heaven over a lost soul being saved, not a found coin or keys/wallets. How much more valuable a soul is than any earthly possession. I am humbled and grateful for this personal lesson. I pray that God will increase my desire to tell others about Him, about His grace and promises, and about the joy in heaven over each lost soul that is saved.
