Have you ever lost something that was dear to you? 

I was recently given a peek into the past of a young woman. Her grandparents were missionaries and gave her a Bible of her own on November 18, 1987.  She was just a little girl. That Bible found its way into my hands last week. 

It was serve day at my church. We were clearing out items from another church property that we are moving into when I found a stack of Bibles.  I felt drawn to open the black, leather one in the middle of the stack. Her Bible.  There was a special note from her papa, pictures she had drawn, “I love Jordan” notes all over the front page, and a plea to anyone who finds this Bible to “Please return to PO Box 255.” In Virginia. Even though chances were slim, I knew I had to take it and at least try to find this girl. 

That evening I started to aimlessly look her name up on Facebook. I found a sweet looking girl with her name that only lives a couple hours away. I sent her a friend request and began asking questions to see if she was the owner of this relic I had found. 

She was! We began talking back and forth about her life and the significance of this Bible to her. 

My girls wanted me to ask her if she ended up with Jordan. She laughed and said, ‘Gosh no! His name is Micheal.” And they have a beautiful daughter. Guess when she met Micheal? November 18th! The same day she received the Bible…only years later! God delights in the details! 

My new friend is now 40 years old. It has been 19 years since she has opened a Bible. Nineteen years since she has been to a church. This Bible once meant so much to her, so did her relationship with God. She didn’t even know it was lost. After all of these years, she is wondering why this Bible has made it back to her? God delights in the details! 

My prayer is that my new friend will be reminded that God sees her. He always has and always will. 

I needed that reminder.  Maybe you do too.  Finding her Bible renewed my faith! What was lost has been found!

God is always inviting us in. I hope He uses this long lost Bible to draw my new friend closer to Him. There is no denying God is after her heart. He is our Shepard. He does the same for you and me. We may not always see Him at work. We may not even be looking toward Him or realize that we are lost. I’m grateful He is always pursuing us with a love that says, welcome back. 

Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. 
Luke 15:3-6

He delights in the details!

We all go through seasons where we are lost. What has helped you in the past?  I’m praying for you today! As always, feel free to share with a friend who may need encouragement. 💗⚓️