He has rescued us completely from the tyrannical rule of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom realm of his beloved Son. For in the Son all our sins are canceled and we have the release of redemption through his very blood.
Colossians 1: 13-14
We have been in CA on business, at least my husband is on business. My daughter, granddaughter and I have been on the business of fun. Yesterday we spent the day on the sunny Crystal Bay beach. There were only a few walkers and surfers wandering about, and it felt like we had the entire beach to ourselves. The girls had fun jumping off the dunes, building castles, and chasing waves. I’m happy simply to be on the beach. Any beach is a good beach to me.
On our way to the end of the beach where cliffs and big rocks make it impossible to go any further, we see a surfer drag something, or someone out of the water. He seemed to be struggling with the dead weight of it all, as he had no help. As we approach, after discussing what it could possibly be, we see that it was another surfer! I ask them if everything is okay, both of them out of breath and the one laying in the sand still not back to normal. They both nodd and explain that the one being dragged out of the water had an accident due to his knee falling out of joint. If not for his friend, he wouldn’t have made it back to shore!
We play for a long time on the rock at the far end, and then turn to head back to our car. We probably make it 1/2 mile down the beach when I notice that the girls do not have their shoes! Um…”Where’s your shoes?” I ask. Big gasps. Off they run back to the rocks to retrieve their shoes. I wait. I’m not ready to take my eyes off the water; it’s so aqua and clear. Beautiful through and through.
Upon their arrival with shoes in tow, my daughter announces that she could not find her phone. Oh dear! I immediately suggest prayer. My daughter cries out “Jesus! please help me find my phone!” We continue praying and searching, feeling hopeful some of the time, and not so hopeful at other times. We use the “find my phone” feature on my phone, but it shows her phone in the water, that is not good. We comb the beach, listen for the beeping sounds from “find my phone” and ask others on the beach if they have seen it. Finally, I stop again in front of a pile of sand I had passed numerous times and pray, “God, you know where this phone is, please show me!” I immediately hear a beep. I bend closer to the sand pile and hear the beep again. I call the girls to come over and they begin to dig. Buried alarming deep in the sand, we find the phone! We are so grateful, excited, impressed. “Thank you Jesus for caring about such things, and taking care of my daughter!” I whisper.
My mind begins to wander and I think of the story I am often reminded of. My story of feeling like I was so deeply buried that I would never be found. I would never be able to breath deeply the salty air of life. Never was hopeless. But, then as I made small sounds for help, the hand of God dug me out and rescued me. He saved me. He found me. He rescued me from the smothering blackness of hopeless despair. The wonder of this story is that He did it thousands of years ago. He knew I would be lost. He knew he would die for me and take the shame, guilt, despair, and pain. He knew he would pull me up out of the pit and I would sit with him in heavenly places. He knew all along! Imagine the joy of being found and the joy of being the Finder!
Even with the surfer. He was found floundering around in the water and he was rescued. He did not drown because he was saved.
Or the shoes, sitting on the rocks. A minor little thing, but still found. And it felt so good!
I love being Found. Tell me, what is your story of being FOUND?
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