In kindergarten, I was old enough to go out for Peewee Football. Dad took me to the first practice, I showed off how fast I could run, did everything I was supposed to. Later, we got the call – I was too small to play Peewee Football.
Think about it – too small for Peewee Football. Anyway, I still remember that, but why?
There’s a lot I can remember if I tried, and you can, too. What happens to us shapes us, and what we choose to remember and our responses often control us. Hear me now: you don’t have to be held captive tomorrow by what your yesterdays may have been.
Jesus shared three parables worth thinking about in Luke 15. First, a man lost a sheep. Now, a shepherd knew every one of his sheep. At that moment, the rest were all ok, but one needed him, so off he went until he found him. He came back running, tears streaming down his face and shouting, “I found him!” Jesus says, “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:7)
A lady loses a coin. You might be saying what’s the big deal, but those coins were probably at least a month’s wages. She was probably a widow, and those coins were probably all the money she had to survive on. Panicked, she starts to sweep the house, crying as she reaches under the table, chairs, and bed. Then, in the corner she sees a glimmer. Laughing and crying at the same time she runs out to tell her friends! Jesus says, “I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10)
A man loses a son. He loves his boys, but one day, his younger son says, “Dad, I’m tired of living here. Too many rules, and I want a life of my own. So, let’s just skip waiting till you die. Give me my inheritance, and I’ll be out of here!” Days turn to weeks, months, years. One day, he looks, and there his boy is – walking down the road. He throws whatever he has in his hands down, sprints across the fields, tears in his eyes, grabs the boy in a bearhug and shouts to the world to hear, “My son has come home! This son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.” (Luke 15: 24)
When you lose something precious, you look for it, you search for it, you panic over it. When you find your lost treasure, you laugh over it, cry over it, and celebrate for it. There’s joy in finding what was lost; there’s joy in being found!
So, if you need to choose to remember anything, remember God searches tirelessly for you and celebrates when He finds you.
