Lost and Found

Three weeks ago my wedding ring disappeared.

Normally at the end of the day, I take it off and loop it inside my watch band. That way, it won't easily get lost.

But it vanished anyhow.

I looked in all the usual places: on top of my dresser, the computer table, the bookshelf, the china cabinet. I don't leave it anywhere else.

But it wasn't to be found.

When I had to go out-of-town for a few days, my friend at the airport teasingly said, "If you want to act like an unmarried man away from home, that's not the way you go about it."

After hoping the ring would just "show up" and didn't, I started searching.

Still, nothing.

Finally, my wife said, "Just go to Wal-Mart and get something to put on your finger."

I shop at Wal-Mart all the time, but for jewelry? No. Call me a snob, but once you have a nice wedding ring, you don't want to replace it with something from the world's discount leader of toasters and toilet cleaner.

My wife's comment prompted a frantic search-and-rescue mission.

Then, PRESTO! I found my ring! It was in-between the driver seat and gear shift box of my car. How it got there, I'll never know. What I do know is that I have my ring back--and on my finger.

After experiencing the relief and joy of finding my ring, I'm appreciating afresh the story told by Jesus in the "lost and found" section of Luke 15:

Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.'

Jesus takes this simple, regular occurrence in life and uses it to teach us something about God's heart:

In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

Compared to a human soul, a ring is obviously insignificant. But my ring has sure reminded me how God feels when he gets back one of His own.



Do you know Jesus as Savior? Want to know more? Look here.