Thanks to my Dad, I almost never get lost.I have an innate sense of direction that I inherited from him.  Usually, if I am in the general vicinity, I can figure out how to get where I need to go.

Having this ability, however, can get me into trouble. Pridefully assuming I either know where I am going or will be able to figure it out easily, I occasionally charge forward, without a good map, and get myself royally lost. Oh how bitter the taste of asking for directions.

I would love to state that this sort of thing only happens in the area of my driving, but....well.....that wouldn't actually be correct.

The Lord found me when I was a young woman and I have walked with Him for decades now. I have drank deeply of His Word, listened to countless sermons and teachings, participated in Bible studies, and taught the Word myself. I don't state any of that proudly- I am just grateful for the heritage of life lived imperfectly, yet with Him.

But sometimes, having this heritage can get me in trouble. Pridefully assuming that I either know the Lord or the Bible well enough, I charge forward, without sufficient time in His Word, in prayer, or with godly counsel.  And I get myself royally lost.

You see, while many years ago I got Found in the eternal sense,  I still do a pretty good job of getting myself lost. Hallelujah- I am no longer Lost, yet I still continue to need to be found.

This picture occurred to me as we were singing "Amazing Grace" in church. We sang the line:

I once was lost, but now am found.

And I thought to myself, "Once? Are you kidding me? I feel lost right now!" It had been a really bad week. There were lots of balls in the air, needing attention at the same time. There were difficulties, challenges, and unclear situations in my family's lives.  I was struggling with stress and exhaustion.

In short, I was feeling lost. And I so desired to get found.

In John 15, Jesus offers us not just one, but THREE stories of lost items getting found. There is a sheep, a coin, and a son. Now one of these items, the coin, can't help getting lost- it has no ability to decide NOT to get lost.

But the sheep and the son? Yep, they make decisions to get lost. Of course they think they are just making decisions to find something better. For the sheep, she is just looking for greener pastures. For the son, he is just looking for an easier life. They pridefully decide they know what is best and then, lo and behold, they get themselves royally lost.

But all three of the stories don't actually revolve around the one who gets lost. They revolve around the FINDER.

The shepherd. The widow. The father. They don't let that which they value so much to stay lost. They find what was lost and then they throw a party to celebrate.

I am so grateful my Father loves me so much. Because quite frankly, I still need to get found on a surprisingly regular basis. I might start desiring greener pastures, without even realizing I am wandering away. And then turn around and realize, "I am so lost."

Are you feeling lost today? Do you need to get found? Then maybe the best thing to do is to just stop and sit down. Because your Shepherd is on the hunt for you. He leaves the 99 other sheep just to find you. That is how much He loves you and that is how valuable you are to Him.

What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?  When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!"  John 15:4-6