“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 19:10, 15:10
I was sweeping out my new clinic and Ryan was buzzing around with all the enthusiasm a seven-year-old boy could muster. I heard someone speak and turned around. To my surprise and delight, the potter was standing in the hallway. He had come to look for us.
Weeks had passed since we last went to the pottery. Nothing was wrong. We were just very busy. I had called the first time or two we missed, and then sent him a message by one of the other students. After a while, I just figured he knew we would get back when we could. We had talked about it several times, about how we needed to get back there. At first, we were going before Christmas, and then it was before New Year’s. Finally, we just hoped to get there eventually.
That was not good enough for the potter. He did not wait for good intentions to materialize. He just drove to where we were most likely to be, looking until he found us. He didn’t stay long. He simply wanted to check on us and tell us he had missed us.
As he headed out to his van, I remembered the verse about the Son of Man who came to seek and save that which was lost. It looked to the potter as if we were lost, and he came looking. It is a lot like what Jesus did for me; what He always does. Every time I have ever strayed, He has come looking for me. He looks until He finds me.
It is a shame, really, that the potter had to come looking for us, but the real tragedy is how Jesus has to search for us, over and over again. I guess I have had a little trouble over the years staying “found”. The potter was looking for us because he loves us. That’s why Jesus looks for us, too. He loves us, even when we do not love back enough to stay in touch.
Since that afternoon, I have been wondering how much fuller my life would be if I sought those who drift out of my life with the same diligence the potter showed toward us. More importantly, how much fuller would my life be if I sought Jesus with that same intensity? It’s something to think about, isn’t it? Maybe, just maybe, it’s reason to make a few changes, too.
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