What was lost, has been found!

 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Luke 15:8‭-‬9 ESV                                                Have you ever lost something that meant a lot to you? Something you felt you could never replace? You look for it diligently, but it’s no where to be found. I was reflecting on this verse and couldn’t help but recall an event that happened back in  November of 2020. My husband Danny and I had gone camping to Highlands Hammock in Seabring Florida. The Friday before we were to leave we decided to go to Publix. Because my shorts had no decent pockets in which to carry a wallet, I decided to take my purse. This is a purse that has always been special to me. It's the purse Danny picked out for me, when we went to Alaska in 2010, it's the only purse I've ever used. 99.9% of the time I wear this purse cross body. For some reason this day, I wrapped the strap around my hand, thinking to myself, maybe I should put that across my body? I have no recollection that I did, long story short, I don't even remember what I did with said purse when we got back to the Motor home. I basically put it out of my mind, that is until that following Monday, when Danny and I found out we were supposed to be leaving our campsite, we thought we had one more day! So, in the rush of getting organized to leave, I realized I couldn't find my purse! What did I do? When did I have it last? We looked everywhere to no avail, no purse anywhere. After weeks of beating myself up, questioning how I could have been so careless, asking myself, "why am I so easily distracted", and being angry or better yet disappointed in God for allowing this to happen, I started looking at the life of Job. Here was a good man. A godly man, who did what was right in the eyes of God; he even prayed for his children in case they may have done something to offend God! Then God allowed Job to be tested. I always wondered why. But maybe God wanted to see if Job's heart was true. Would he remain faithful no matter what? Even his wife said, essentially, he should quit God, just give up. But instead Job said, and here's the key, "Should we accept good  from God and not trouble"? (see Job 2:10)Yep, I was definitely convicted! Well, fast forward to April of 2021, I had long decided the purse was gone. Replaced all the items, drivers license, credit cards, even got a new purse at Christmas. So I wasn't even thinking about it. Danny and I were getting the motor home ready for a trip, I was vacuuming and could of sworn I saw a strap under the recliner? Could it be? After I put the vacuum away I went over to the recliner,  and looked under and, I kid you not, there was my purse!!!! I must have checked this motor home a hundred times prior to this date, and there it was, I was so excited I couldn't contain my joy, I had to tell as many people as I could! I felt like the woman in this parable and just wanted everyone to rejoice with me because I found what I thought I had lost! And then another thought occurred to me. The day we left that campground , as I was beating myself up, I happened to notice a Billboard, probably  for a law firm, but what I notice was the word TRUST, in big letters. I didn't really think about it much at the time,  but every time I thought about that purse I would see that Billboard. God was asking me to trust Him all along! He knew where that purse was, He knew the lessons I needed to learn from this event. Perhaps one lesson in particular, what is more important, the gift or the giver? Or, do not cling so tightly to “things” that are here today and gone tomorrow, and forget about the importance of relationship. And for heaven’s sake, when you use that purse, wear it crossbody, and beware of purse eating recliners🙂