by Victoria Heinecke

Rejoicing when a loved one is found.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

I had the privilege of watching someone’s pets. I rearranged my appointments so I could be home for them, and I anticipated a day of play times and walks.

Roxie, the dog, loves people. She settled in quickly, enjoyed the endless back rubs and the long walks in the fresh air. Mouse, the cat, has a more anxious disposition. He hid under a bed in our guest room for hours. I tried to coax him out a couple of times, but he wanted no part of that idea.

When Jon and I returned from our second walk with Roxie, I went upstairs to check in on Mouse. He was no longer under the bed. No problem, I thought; he’s around somewhere. An hour passed and I began to panic; “No one is ever going to ask me to pet-sit again!” When it was time to pick up the pets, his owner also looked for Mouse and, after a half hour, couldn’t find him either!

“…suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she 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.’ ”
Luke 15:8-9 New International Version

Why was the woman overjoyed at finding a coin? It’s not like looking for a lost sheep (John 10:11-12), because the sheep is alive and a coin is not. However, if a lost coin means not eating for one or more days, it’s pretty important. It’s a relief when we’ve found something that is precious to us.

Unlike a coin, Mouse was terrified at the unfamiliar surroundings. Nothing was familiar, and he did not want to be found. After Jon, his owner and I scoured the house, we eventually found him curled under a treadmill in the basement.

Sometimes we don’t want to be found by Jesus. There are many reasons to be afraid: shame, guilt, self-loathing, distrust, fear. It’s when the Holy Spirit comforts and reassures us that we can be reunited with God. And what joy God has, for every one of us!

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado