Lost and Found: God is the Retriever
Barb Roberts | Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 11:27AM When was the last time you looked through a ‘lost and found?’ Interesting things there, aren’t there? We have a lost and found closet at our church. My friend Sheila, who is the staff person in charge of that area, tells me that we have had some really strange things accumulate over the years .…a guest speaker’s expensive suit was in that closet and somehow inadvertently got sent to the Denver Rescue Mission men’s suit closet, also to be found were - a cowboy hat, boy’s underwear, women’s underwear, garden tools, to name a few. If the owner could spot their item, and retrieve it, then it would be ‘found’ – right?
Wouldn’t it be great in everyday life if the solution for all of our losses was that easy?
What do you do to deal with your loss? I’m not talking about death - but all the other ‘life losses’ that happen on a daily or weekly basis. What I’m getting at looks something like this for me – Sometimes I experience such a sense of loss, and I wonder why. I’ve not just experienced a death; I didn’t recently lose my job; I haven’t been mugged or robbed; I’ve not lost my best friend – but I feel loss nonetheless. And….experiencing that loss, I find myself dealing with many of the same grief expressions as though I had gone through one of the major losses listed above – death, job loss, break up of a marriage or relationship, etc. Those feelings can take on the look of depression, anger, betrayal, loneliness, panic, emptiness, despair, hopelessness. To be able to identify that you are going through grief and loss is in itself helpful. Then, to be able to name the loss is the second step (did someone trounce on your feelings; were you embarrassed in front of friends or family; did you say something stupid in a phone conversation; did you give your opinion when you wish you would have remained silent; were you ‘passed over’ for a promotion; are you dealing with your own mortality and aging process; are you going down the ‘what if’ road a bit too far – what will happen if…).
We see in Romans 8:28 “God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Even in this loss God will work – He will take it and retrieve it or redeem it and help us walk through it. In Proverbs 3 we are told, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Though it may not be as easy to work our way through such loss as it is to paw through a ‘lost and found’ closet, God is the ‘retriever/redeemer’ of all of our losses.
So – next time you find that you are just generally ‘ticked’ and not sure why, ask yourself – “what loss might I be going through?” And – go to the One who understands, identifies and walks us through all of our grief and loss.
Reader Comments (4)
As I was reading this, I was thinking how many of my friends would benefit from the truth shared here. This site (link) is going out to all my friends. No doubt the wisdom expressed here will help them as it has helped me today.
Barb, these steps were helpful to me today:
~ identify that you are going through grief and loss
~ name the loss
~ recognize that God is retriever/redeemer
Does taking these steps remove the sinking feeling in my gut when I awaken in the morning? Do they fix the relationship, the favorite sweater I placed in the dryer on what I thought was ‘air only’, the flood in my basement, or the lost chance to give someone a hug? No, but, today, reading that God can redeem the loss was straight from His heart to mine. Thank you.
A friend, who now enjoys talking with our Lord face to face, told me years ago that she sees every moment, each predictable or unexpected experience, every blow, every encounter as a trip to her mailbox. She walks to her mailbox with anticipation, praying, “Lord, what good thing do you have for me in my mailbox today? I don’t know what I will find - a bill, an invitation, an overdue notice, a letter carrying hurt or joy. Whatever it is, I take it from your hand today, the hand of my loving Lord, confident that you have good for me in each piece I pull out.” Thank you, Retriever/Redeemer!
Mei An
Barb -- welcome to blogging and thanks for notifying me of the new post. I'd love to see whatever you are writing so keep sending the notices when you post something new.
I'm increasingly aware that some of my thoughts have a demonic origin. Might that explain the sudden feelings of loss with no triggering event -- at least in some situations?
I know some might think this a little too crude but I'm comforted that someone as smart as C. S. Lewis took the Bible quite literally on this matter. Lewis said something to the effect that "every place and time in the universe is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan."
I've also been help a lot in understanding demonic activity by the writings of Greg Boyd. Again, this is not some anti-intellectual fundamentalist preacher but a Princeton and Yale trained theologian.
It helps me to know that not every thought and feeling I have comes from my own self and it gives me some help in knowing how to fight back.
I'm glad to learn that you have a blog, Barb! It is always helpful to be reminded that God is the one who redeems the losses. If we expect others - especially the ones who offend us - to pay up we will not only be disappointed, but bitter as well.