I am sure that it is not news to you that Tax Day is coming! We are lucky enough to have a family helper that prepares our tax forms for us! Don't you wish you had one? We count our blessings for him and his help every year. For several reasons, including that nasty bug that attacked both of us and jumped back and forth between us for nearly 2 months, we neglected to prepare for this important date. We procrastinated! This past week my husband appeared to be searching for something. I finally asked what it was that he was looking for? I should have known--the tax papers! I finally asked him if he needed any help. I was assured that he didn't. He said--"I know where they are. I had them all together." A while later, "I don't know where they are! Why aren't they here where I put them?" And he continued searching....and searching some more--diligently! And still, he didn't need help! The searching turned to frantic searching. And repeating the search in the primary target areas.
I am sure that we are not the only ones to have had this searching problem! You’ve probably known exactly where something was--until it wasn't! We are not omniscient--all knowing! God has that attribute and even though we are in his image, that attribute was not given to us, though I’ve often thought it sure would come in handy! I did attempt to help, even though I was told my help wasn't needed. A good wife should realize when to mind her own business--so I stopped my attempting!
We went to bed and "forgot about it!" And no papers found. Forgot about it, but we did not forget to pray about it! The next morning, I was left home alone! And that was my chance to do my own diligent looking unobserved! And I looked--through everything that he assured me that had been searched thoroughly the day before. And I searched in places that I knew he had not looked. Ahhh! I found one paper! He-he-he--I had an I told you so moment! But----no others and we needed 6 different sets of papers! Remember, they were supposed to be all together! The only place I didn't search was in a fire safe box that I tend to not get into unless some great tragedy would happen. So… after my own search, I came to the conclusion that the only place for the missing papers to be was in that firebox! Of course--later I had to confess to my deceit and to my conclusions. That fire safe box needed to be searched—again for the 3rd time. Its normal home is in a quite unhandy place. So out of necessity, that very heavy box was carried out and placed where the thorough search could begin. Heavy boxes are not easily carried by us anymore--sadly, we are realizing how many easy things are no longer easy as we get older and older. Anyway--the search began, again! The search lasted at most------------5 or 6 seconds! Those missing papers were discovered right where they should have been in the front of the box. For some reason Garry had been blind to them before! Or just maybe we needed to have an answer to our prayers.
Pray--then find! It seems like an easy solution. Of course, we know that our answers to prayer are not always yes! There is the no answer and the wait answer, too. But this time we were so relieved to receive the yes answer! And we rejoiced!
There are several stories in our Bible that are about lost and found things. God seems concerned about the lost being found. Lost coins, lost sheep, lost son, found treasure, found pearl. He never ceases His search for the lost and rejoicing in the found!
Those papers had been put in the right place and couldn't be found. We can appear to do all the right things and we still can be lost in the end. Wouldn't it be sad if that turns out to be the case? There will be those who will say, "Didn't we do this and that in your name?" And the answer will be "I never knew you!"
The papers were all together--and they were still lost. Maybe the lesson here is that we need to be careful who we are hanging out with. We can all be lost together! The sheep wandered away, all by himself. The shepherd rejoiced when the sheep was home again! The coin was lost and then found after a thorough house cleaning. The coin's owner rejoiced that she knew where it was again. The son chose to wander and the Father rejoiced when the son decided wandering was wrong and came home to stay. There was rejoicing over treasure that was found. A pearl was treasured when found. Adam and Eve lost eternal life, until Jesus came and bought it back for them and for us. I am rejoicing in the plan put in place for us. We rejoiced that our missing things were found, and we no longer needed to stress and try to come up with solutions.
Rejoice--because God loves his children and he cares for his sheep. He finds the lost. He finds us. I am so glad that He never stops searching and rejoicing in the found.
