Lost and Found: A Story of Rejoicing

The phone was lost. My wife and I had just taken a quick trip to town to visit someone in the hospital and run a few errands. As we hopped into the car and pulled out of the parking lot, my wife asked, "Do you have my phone?" I quickly replied, "No." We stopped, searched the car, went back into the store, and looked for the phone—without success. She even tried to track the phone using her watch, but still had no luck.

Then, as I was attempting to call her phone, someone answered. It was a gentleman who had found the phone lying on the ground. He had picked it up and taken it home. After speaking with him, he shared his address, and we were able to retrieve the phone.

This experience reminded me of the story Jesus told in Matthew 18:12-14:
"If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that did not wander away. In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish."

Just like the man who searched for the one lost sheep, my wife and I rejoiced when the phone was safely returned to us.

The Joy of Finding What is Lost

Finding something valuable is always a reason to rejoice. And just as we rejoiced when the phone was returned, Jesus rejoices every time one of us who has strayed is found and brought back into His fold.

The Importance of Your Presence in the Church

Too often, we may not realize the importance of simply being present in the Church. It's easy to think that missing just one Sunday here and there won't make a difference. But the truth is, each of us plays a vital role within the Church. There are times when we may only need to warm the pew or offer a few kind words to someone, but we all have a place.

Recently, the weather in our area was bad, and several people couldn't safely attend our Sunday service. It might not seem like a big deal to some, but we truly missed those who couldn’t be there. As part of the Body of Christ, there will be times when we are unable to attend due to illness or other circumstances, but never forget: You are missed, you are prayed for, and your Brothers and Sisters in Christ are looking forward to seeing you again.

So, if you've been away for a while, please make a serious effort to return. You are an important part of the Church family, and we can't wait to welcome you back!