It doesn’t always happen like this. This whole God-cuts-me-to-the-core kind of experience. But every now and then, truth spills out onto the scene, and I’m changed. Here’s what happened just a couple weeks ago.
I arrived at work one Tuesday (I’m a resource teacher at Bryant Elementary), took my scarf off and noticed that one of my diamond earring studs was about to fall out of my ear. I immediately checked for the other one and realized it was missing.
These earrings were my husband’s gift to me for our third anniversary. That added just a little motivation to find them.
I decided to retrace my steps-- from the car, across the parking lot, through the front office, down the hall and to my office. No luck. I put out a mass email to my fellow teachers, describing the earring and asking them to let me know if a student were to find it. My own students were at an assembly that morning, so I asked permission from my administration to sign out.
The whole drive home I was racking my brain with possible locations, trying to conjure up some obvious place I hadn’t thought of checking. And if that didn’t keep my mind busy enough, there were the sentimental emotions. Even if the earrings were insured (which they weren’t), I could never replace the moment they represented.
I got home, searched several places and found myself on the floor of our bedroom, raking the carpet fibers with my fingers. I said a prayer. It was one of many I had already prayed, asking the Holy Spirit to help me find my missing earring.
And then it struck me. Right there, while I was already prostrate on the ground, He rebuked me over the irony of it all.
“When was the last time you prayed 5 times, or got this emotional over my lost children?”
And the contrast was laid so clearly before me. Silly piece of rock versus lost eternal beings. Jewelry versus souls. My earring versus my neighbor.
When was the last time I felt any emotion over their separation from God?
I couldn’t remember.
There’s a story Jesus tells about a woman who has 10 coins and loses one of them. She turns the house upside down searching for it. When she finds her missing coin, she calls up her friends to tell them the good news.
What if I truly viewed the neighbors, coworkers and friends of mine who don’t know Jesus just as I saw that diamond earring? Or, as that woman saw her missing coin? Would I be more intentional about building relationships with them? Would I pass out more catb invite cards? Would I mention the hope I have more often?
What about you? Who will you pray for this week? Who will you build a connection with? Who will you give an invite card to? When we're "available and alert," as Hal says, we'll make the most of every opportunity to help people get to know Jesus.
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