Lost: Dead because of your disobedience and your many sins, living like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world, who is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature (Adapted from Ephesians 2:1-3).

Last week was the week of losts in my home. I lost a piece to my blender and one of my favorite hats; Flynn lost his hat; Josh lost his play notes; Nate lost an apple; my mama lost a piece of gum; and Justus walked around after being asked did he see any of the lost items saying, “I ‘on know.” And I fretted a bit, not wanting my nose to eventually lead me to the spoiled apple or my unknowing foot to smash a chewed piece of gum into my carpet. As I prayed about being fretful I began to praise as I saw what I could have had:

Lost hope
Lost strength
Lost vision
Lost relationships
Lost love
Lost fight

But some of you had these losses. You were tired of fighting so you just gave up; you lost your job, a relationship, some other great love, so you lost hope; you have been so swamped in your problems and issues that you lost your vision for a better life. Your sorrows may have been so strong that you forgot that what you are going through are but light afflictions and Jesus died for your greatest affliction—eternal death (2 Corinthians 4:17). The biggest ‘lost’ that you had was that of a sinner who was in need of salvation, but Jesus found you. He died for you before your mama’s mama, mama’s mama, mama’s mama…ever was, before you would ever be. This is where I began to focus to restore my joy, what I gave away for some missing inanimate objects, none that could set me free or save me. I praise God for recovering lost me, sealing me to the day of His return and keeping me from falling into the clutches of despair and sin (Ephesians 1:13-14).

My One Thousand Gifts List

#511-520
Dinner with my in-laws
Nate’s voice
Justus saying “Josh”
Bubbling-over love for Flynn
Sharon stopping by to give me a funny birthday card and some money
Going to bed around 10:30 p.m.
A joyous time with the Lord in the kitchen while doing dishes and in my quiet time space
An old classmate saying I inspire him to do what he was meant to do and that “you even saved my man”
Candace and Chloe (my nieces) getting saved!
Finishing a richly packed blog while talking on the phone