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- Feb 9, 2004
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Lost and Found - August 10, 2006
"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost". Luke 19:10
I'm not usually a shopaholic but the market stalls in Crete were proving quite a temptation. "If you can't beat them, join them", I thought. So there I was in the midst of a throng of sweaty tourists, all crammed into an alleyway, hunting for a Greek island souvenir to take home. Perhaps a sea sponge, some red threads of saffron, or a box of olive oil soaps would do the trick. Before I knew it, I was juggling an assortment of little parcels to pack into that already bulging luggage.
Next stop was a jewelry stall with a beautiful display of silver rings and delicate handmade necklaces. I hadn't intended to buy anything more but while I waited for my friends to finish their browsing, I somehow ended up with a pair of amber earrings and a matching necklace.
Fast forward a couple of months. Now on the other side of the world, the island holiday seemed just a distant memory as I sweltered through another scorching summer at home.
Then I remembered the little amber earrings. They hadn't even been out of the box since I bought them, so I put them on and felt quite pleased to have a tiny part of that Greek holiday still with me.
Disaster! Only a few hours later, I was on my hands and knees, desperately searching the tiled bathroom floor for one of the amber earrings. Could I have lost it in the shower? I was sure I had. After a fruitless search, I finally admitted to myself that it was gone for good, lost down the drain.
It was maddening to lose that earring, not only because it was so new, but because I had brought it all the way back from Greece. When the frustration subsided, I became philosophical. "Oh well," I thought, "there's nothing I can do about it now. At least it wasn't a pair of diamond earrings or something worth much more."
That's when it hit me. How much we really search for something we've lost is a measure of how much that thing means to us.
Gratitude flooded through me as I realized then how precious we are to God and how much we mean to him. He was willing to leave ninety-nine sheep to go after one precious lamb. He was willing to turn his house upside down and inside out to find one lost coin. God was willing to send his beloved Son, Jesus, from the heights of heaven to the ignominy of earth: all so that we might enter into a loving relationship with He.
I searched for my amber earring for less than fifteen minutes before I gave it up as a lost cause. How glad I am however, that God didn't give up his search for me, even though it cost Him the life of His Son, Jesus.
P.S. I did find that amber earring in the end, but that's another story.
Eunice Tan resides in Australia and has a background in creative writing and English Literature. For comments or feedback, please send email to: [email protected]
"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost". Luke 19:10
I'm not usually a shopaholic but the market stalls in Crete were proving quite a temptation. "If you can't beat them, join them", I thought. So there I was in the midst of a throng of sweaty tourists, all crammed into an alleyway, hunting for a Greek island souvenir to take home. Perhaps a sea sponge, some red threads of saffron, or a box of olive oil soaps would do the trick. Before I knew it, I was juggling an assortment of little parcels to pack into that already bulging luggage.
Next stop was a jewelry stall with a beautiful display of silver rings and delicate handmade necklaces. I hadn't intended to buy anything more but while I waited for my friends to finish their browsing, I somehow ended up with a pair of amber earrings and a matching necklace.
Fast forward a couple of months. Now on the other side of the world, the island holiday seemed just a distant memory as I sweltered through another scorching summer at home.
Then I remembered the little amber earrings. They hadn't even been out of the box since I bought them, so I put them on and felt quite pleased to have a tiny part of that Greek holiday still with me.
Disaster! Only a few hours later, I was on my hands and knees, desperately searching the tiled bathroom floor for one of the amber earrings. Could I have lost it in the shower? I was sure I had. After a fruitless search, I finally admitted to myself that it was gone for good, lost down the drain.
It was maddening to lose that earring, not only because it was so new, but because I had brought it all the way back from Greece. When the frustration subsided, I became philosophical. "Oh well," I thought, "there's nothing I can do about it now. At least it wasn't a pair of diamond earrings or something worth much more."
That's when it hit me. How much we really search for something we've lost is a measure of how much that thing means to us.
Gratitude flooded through me as I realized then how precious we are to God and how much we mean to him. He was willing to leave ninety-nine sheep to go after one precious lamb. He was willing to turn his house upside down and inside out to find one lost coin. God was willing to send his beloved Son, Jesus, from the heights of heaven to the ignominy of earth: all so that we might enter into a loving relationship with He.
I searched for my amber earring for less than fifteen minutes before I gave it up as a lost cause. How glad I am however, that God didn't give up his search for me, even though it cost Him the life of His Son, Jesus.
P.S. I did find that amber earring in the end, but that's another story.
Eunice Tan resides in Australia and has a background in creative writing and English Literature. For comments or feedback, please send email to: [email protected]
