Lost shoe

"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?"- Luke 15:4

I was in the girls' room yesterday helping them get dressed for the day. As you know Katty and Maryuri neither one go so they simply put on play clothes and really are in no hurry. The other girls are the ones that need to rush to get into their uniforms so they can eat and get out the door. At some point during this process Katty (who was completely dressed) realizes she can only find one of her sandals. She very persistently tugged, prodded, and wined for me to help her look for the missing shoe. My one track mind was focused on getting the school girls out the door so I paid little attention to her.

Finally, I got down on the floor and looked under the dresser, beds, and anything else that it may have slipped under. Not finding it there I quickly gave up and told her to grab another pair. I promised to help her look once everyone was out the door. I was out the door before I could even notice her bummed out and very discouraged expression. By the time the door slammed behind the last of the school goers I had forgotten all about the misplaced sandal and went about my day.

It wasn't until that evening as I was sitting in my room did I hear little Katty squeal like it was Christmas. She came tearing into my room, face all lit up, barely able to contain herself as she held up not just one sandal but both of them. With the proudest voice I've ever heard she raised both sandals over her head saying "I found it!" I may have forgotten about the missing shoe but she sure hadn't. She had spent the entire day scoping out every nook and cranny for her missing sandal. It didn't matter that she has 17 other pairs of shoes to pick from....she didn't even put the sandals on after she found the missing one. She was simply content in the fact that what was once lost was now found.

I shamefully wrapped her up and apologized for not looking harder. I didn't take the time to realize how important it was to her that we find her shoe. I let my busy day get in the way of taking more than a few minutes to look for something as simple as an old sandal.

I began to wonder how often we are this way in life in general. The bible says that even with 100 sheep when one gets lost you go in search for that one. I was ever so quick to say "oh well you lost a sandal...grab one of the other 99 you have there. ...they work just as well." I didn't want to take the time to search out that one that was missing. I didn't have time to worry about just one when there were so many. Makes me glad that we serve a God that isn't that way because if He was there is a good chance that He wouldn't have come looking for this lost sheep. I would have been the one that slipped away from the flock and got lost in oblivion. I pray that I can be as diligent as Katty about seeking out the lost.