A Journey of Discovery and Recovery
By Jane Chin
Over time, many things get lost and some found. Many are unimportant, not a life or death crisis. But there are those upending times, when losing something or a relationship is traumatic, and we are forever changed. Over the past decade, what have been your significant losses? And what have been your equally meaningful finds? What have you lost or regained spiritually? How has your passion towards God shifted? What have you lost or rediscovered as your role at home or work changed? What are the significant losses or unexpected finds you have experienced as you have aged? As time passes, we often lose more than we seek to regain. Finding demands focus, effort and patience.
Losing is Not the End
“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it?” – Luke 15:8 (NLT)
This parable of the lost and found coin gives me pause for thought. It centers around a woman, most likely a humble and poor woman, who has lost a precious coin. Although she still had nine others, that lost coin was equally valuable. Many commentaries deduce it is her dowry gifted to her at the time of marriage. Each coin represents a day’s wages; but much more beyond the monetary value is the value of her identity as a married woman she proudly wore. Likewise, as disciples, wives and mothers, this simple parable can help us reflect on our relationship with God. Have I lost my first love for God over time? I have found myself caring more about what others think of me rather than centering my life on pleasing God. Honoring God had gradually fallen away from my day-to-day priority. It took Malachi 1:6 to reveal my heart and give me a wakeup call – I had lost my connection with God. Only when you are fully aware of the things you have lost, can you possibly begin to look for them. Only then are they able to be recovered. Losing was NOT the end for her. Nor is it for us.
Clarity was Found
In realizing we have lost things, we also discover what exactly is worth finding. The woman in this parable had a clarity that what was lost was valuable to her. She did not take a stance of indifference or apathy but rather she was very much aware and concerned. She searched carefully. We have all lost things that we have no stress over, such as a button on a shirt. They disappear from our radar and are easy to replace. But losing heirloom jewellery probably would cause a different reaction. When we have clarity about the value of what is lost, we have the same urgency about finding what was lost as the woman who lost a silver coin.
What about our role as a wife or a mother? Are we aware that we have perhaps figuratively lost our obedience to God’s teachings for wives or our humility to trust God’s will as mothers? Are our hearts still urgent and willing to make every effort to reclaim the faith for making important life changes in our family relationships? Every day is filled with a flurry of urgent activity; these are the times we can simply lose clarity about what is valuable to our identity as disciples. We can so easily lose God’s values to those that are defined by social media, worldliness or comparing ourselves to others. Have we lost some straightforward commandments about respect for our husbands or instilling godly boundaries in our parenting? How eager are we to have clarity and carefully examine what needs to be re‑found in our roles?
Determination was Found
I love the spirit of determination in this sincere heart even in this crisis of loss. She was willing to invest time for a search, which I believe would only end when she found the valued coin. She also was willing to sacrifice a precious resource which, at the time, was oil to kindle her lamp in order to make sure her search would be successful. In those times, these impoverished homes were dirt floors and where their animals resided with them for fear of theft. Despite the challenge of combing through each dirty crevice and the arduous task of sweeping through the dirt, she kept a determined spirit to find the lost coin. Recovery of her coin was worthy of investing all she had. No excuses or compromises would deter her. Are we willing to make every effort to reclaim the faith for making important life changes? Too many times we have convinced ourselves that we do not have the time to make changes to recover that which we have lost spiritually. Our other defensive reasoning is that we do not have enough resources. Over the past 5 or 10 years what have you lost – faith, passion, purpose or humility? Are you willing to imitate the spirit of this woman to find what you have lost in your walk of faith? Or have reasonable excuses of lack of time, opportunity, tiredness or lack of resources hindered your rediscovery?
Finding Occasions to Celebrate Together
“And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” – Luke 15:9-10 (NLT)
This woman does not keep the fact that she lost a coin to herself. She invites her friends and neighbors to a feast to celebrate with her. The events of these past years in particular, we have prayerfully and painfully come to treasure relationships. Rather than take for granted who and what we have in life, we are prompted to take opportunities in the present to celebrate life and gather for fellowship to express our gratitude, our victories and what we are learning on this journey together. This humble woman purposefully made an occasion to celebrate what she recovered with her friends and neighbors. Luke 15:10 makes reference to a coin being found as a sinner who repents. As disciples, are we celebrating and honoring God with our repentance and our renewed effort for life and relationship changes? Let’s strive to be seekers and sincere finders.
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