My lost coin

"Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!'

Luke 15:8-9

Okay, so I didn't really lose a coin, but I did lose something especially important to me. For our 5 year anniversary, Aaron gave me a pair of diamond earrings, something I had always wanted. Anytime I wear them, I am periodically checking my ears to make sure they are still there and to make sure the backs are on snug.

I put them on yesterday and with a busy day running errands, getting pictures taken and cleaning up some extra messes made around the house, I didn't check my earrings until I finally sat down to do some computer work. I checked my ears and and earring was missing!

So after several prayers to God to help me find it, I retraced my steps through the house and even vacuumed out the entire closet hoping to hear it get sucked into the vacuum. No such luck.

I couldn't find it. I counted it as lost, thinking it had to be on a store floor or in a parking lot somewhere.

Fast forward to today. I sat down to feed Breven his dinner and stepped on something. Thinking it was a crumb, I knelt to pick it up and saw it sparkle. I did a double take. It was my earring!!

And it reminded me of the verses I wrote up above. No matter how big or small, its still important to God. I could still talk to him about it, confessing my fears and frustrations. And even if I hadn't found the earring, I should still praise God because atleast I had one earring left that could be my reminder of our anniversary.

And then I read this verse that follows the 2 referenced above...

Luke 15:10

"In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

My joy of finding my lost earring can't hold a candle to the joyous celebration of a new life found in Christ.

And that got me thinking. Do I have any chances to celebrate like those angels over a new believer? Do I have any chances to tell anyone about the miraculous saving knowledge of Christ's love for them? Are my eyes open to those chances?

This is a great time of year to be on the lookout for someone in need of some grace and forgiveness. And now I think I have one more prayer to add to my list.

Open my eyes, Lord, to see the opportunities you're going to present to me today. Give me the words to say to the strangers I meet while I'm out and help me to show them Your compassion and love.

What about you? Are you keeping your eyes open to the opportunities God has given you today to help those in need?