journey to the land of the lost

finding lost things

Written by Leslie Rowe

Owner/writer at Greatwords.net. Penn State alum. Religious views: for. Political views: against.

June 19, 2012

finding lost things

I know that God cares about the lost more than anything.

And I know that I don’t care about the lost like he does. I want to care. But I don’t. I’m asking him to change me so that I care. And I trust that he is doing it.

My friend Julie Gillies has a saying: “First in the natural—then in the spiritual.” So let me tell you some stories about the lost—in the natural.

For some reason, I have this great faith that God will help me and my friends find lost things. He has done it over and over and over again. God has a reputation in my house for finding lost things.

There was the time that a little kid lost her hat one night somewhere on the school campus. We were there for a nighttime basketball game and the kids had gone outside to play—it was a big campus. I prayed: “Lord, you know where the hat is. Please show it to us.”

We walked outside and started looking; we found the hat on that big campus in about one minute—in near pitch darkness on a big wide field. The little kids were wide-eyed and amazed. God is so cool.

My friend lost her watch—it was a really nice watch. “Lord, you know where that watch is. Your eye is upon it…please show here where it is.” She found it a few days later deep in the crevasses of the mini-van.

I have dozens of stories like that—lost car keys, lost wallet, lost library book, lost camera cord, lost ring, lost this, lost that…it’s not like I think God is some crystal ball, either. I just know that I know that God is all-knowing, all-seeing. I know that we can’t see that object that we’ve lost, but I know that he sees it from heaven’s omnipotent point of view. And I figure if he sees it, he won’t mind telling us where it is. He’s a pretty loving God, after all.

So now I’m praying, “God—please take it to the next level.”  First in the natural, then in the spiritual.

Take me to that spiritual place where you see the lost. You see them not as some vague, unknown mass of humanity (like I do), but you see each hurting individual. You see the child who feels rejected by peers and parents. You see the young girl who feels used by men. You see the man who is rough and tough on the outside, but inside he is a scared little boy who can’t seem to find his way in the big world. You see the lonely old lady in the nursing home whose family lives far away and is too busy to come see her. You see the guy in prison who is getting released in a few days and has absolutely no hope of succeeding on the outside. You see the hungry baby in South Africa. You see the hopeless family worshipping a thousand gods in India—gods who are no-gods, only demons in disguise whose secret motives are the destruction of that family and that generation.

Right now I am slightly numb in my comfortable American wealth. I have a home, good groceries, a running car, clean water, HOT water, medicine, vitamins, a few computers, and a livelihood. I have friends, a social life, a solid church community, and am healthy.

I’m not seeing the lost like you’re seeing them.

I can’t see them, Lord.

But you can see them.

Open my eyes. I want to find the lost. Change me—let me see with your eyes.

You have revealed the lost things that we couldn’t find, so many times. And you care about people more than a watch or the car keys.

Help me find the lost—the ones your eyes are beholding; the ones you have prepared to hear your word. Use me, Lord, to speak that word. Grant me a vision for the lost, a heart that loves them like you do. I want to care more. I want to be your instrument. I want to fulfill the great commission.

Without you changing me, I’ll just continue being comfortable. Without your revelation, I won’t see the desperation. Without your love, I won’t care. Without your power, I’ll continue being powerless. Without your touch, I’ll be useless.

I’m willing. Just not able unless you help me. Actually, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

So I proclaim:

I am crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me.

I can do all things through Christ.

You came to seek and save the lost. Use me, in spite of me. I’m lost without you, Lord. 

12 Comments

  1. Paula

    Excellent post. Very thought provoking.

    Reply
    • Leslie J. Rowe

      I’m provoked myself. 🙂 Thanks.

      Reply
  2. Leslie J. Rowe

    Couldn’t have scripted this one…just NOW, my daughter couldn’t find her Invisalign braces (they are removable and she had taken them out to eat last night). Inside, I thought, “oh, boy, here we go…those things are expensive!” followed by, “Lord, your reputation is at stake since I JUST posted this.”  We prayed. She insisted she’d looked EVERYWHERE and that I was looking in the wrong places. (Lord, help us…you SEE them, where are they?)  “Did you look inside the pockets of whatever you were wearing?” I asked.  VOILA! There they were. Thanks, Lord!!!

    Reply
  3. David Rupert

    This is powerful. The woman who swept the house looking for the one coin. The shepherd who left the 99 sheep to find the one. 

    Why am I so concerned with the found? Teaching bible studies, giving words to the found, spending so much time with church activities. Maybe my time would be better spent where God’s heart is…with the lost. 

    Reply
    • Leslie J. Rowe

      Ahh, I know, who will save me from this body of death? Ugh, thanks be to you-know-who. 

      Reply
      • Leslie J. Rowe

        and I’m in love with my COMFORTS!!!  Oh, God, help.  🙂

        Reply
  4. Duane Scott

    Great post.. but… can you put that photo up above on BibleDude’s facebook page so I can share? 🙂 Seriously. Love that! 

    Reply
  5. Sharon R Hoover

    This is a beautiful message, Leslie. With a bit of hesitation … I used your words and prayed ”
    Take me to that spiritual place where you see the lost”. As I venture out on mission near and far, I trust that the Lord has heard and will lead me to help care of the lost. Thank you for your words of inspiration… and challenge!

    Reply
    • Leslie Rowe

      Hi Sharon, for some reason I didn’t see your post until now. So sorry to have ignored you. 🙂 So now that time has passed since that prayer, can you share how God may have answered? Thank you for your sweet comments.

      Reply
  6. Sandra Heska King

    This reminded me of some lost-and-found stories of my own.

    “Take me to that spiritual place where you see the lost.” This is a courageous and powerful prayer, Leslie. It boggles my mind to think how He sees each one, how his heart aches for each one, in the mass of humanity.

    Reply
    • Leslie Rowe

      Hi Sandra, and I apologize for not responding until now. For some reason I did not see your comment and just now noticed it. (oops). It boggles my mind, too, how he sees us all. A gazillion people, with all of our stories and heartaches, and yet his eye can be upon us like a laser, individually. Can’t even fathom it. Me: small. God. BIGGEST.

      Reply

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journey to the land of the lost

by Leslie Rowe time to read: 4 min
12