Luke 15:1-107
(Picture of the hand-painted sheep for the nursery)
When my husband and I were expecting our first child, we carefully prepared the room we would use as the nursery. We decided on the theme “The Lord is My Shepherd.” We bought numerous stuffed animal sheep and hand-painted 67 lambs on her wall (yes, we counted!). It felt comforting as new parents to have God as our Shepherd watching over us as we began this new life together as a family.
It is probably no surprise then that one of our daughter’s first “loveys” was a stuffed lamb that we affectionately called “Lamma-Jamma.” Lamma-Jamma was soft and snuggly, serving as a constant companion for our daughter. Lamma-Jamma went everywhere with us until one day, after coming home for a walk, we discovered that Lamma-Jamma was no longer in the stroller. As a parent, when your child loses their “Lovey,” panic sets in because there will be inconsolable tears and trauma the rest of the day!
We retraced our steps from our walk and couldn’t find Lamma-Jamma. We searched the house top to bottom to make sure he wasn’t there somewhere. We decided to retrace our steps again from our walk, and to our amazement, there was Lamma-Jamma lovingly tucked into a plastic bag and tied to a fence post. There was a note on the bag that read “Hope this lamb finds his way home.” We were so thankful to find Lamma-Jamma and return him to our daughter’s arms. Her joy was immense!
I can’t read the story of the Lost Sheep without thinking about our child’s stuffed toy. God thinks each one of us is so special that God can’t imagine not having us in His embrace. One of my favorite hymns is “The King of Love My Shepherd Is.” The last line of stanza 3 reads: “and on his shoulder gently laid, and home, rejoicing, brought me.” Can you imagine experiencing God’s joy as He welcomes us back into His embrace?
Listen:
The King of Love https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYnXg8WuI7Q
Questions for Reflection:
- What is the most commonly lost item in your life?
- Remember a time when something dear to you was lost and then found. Can you describe the feeling?
Prayer:
Lord, you are always seeking, loving, and forgiving when we wander off. Grant us grace to stay with you, and may we rejoice with you and all of heaven when the lost is found. Amen
Login To Leave Comment