Missing in Action

 

Have you ever lost something of value to you? I'm married to a man that often misplaces what seems like everything. I hear countless times a day, "Have you seen my ____" (It's usually keys, wallet, or phone). While often times it is usually left in a bizarre place, the feeling of losing something is overwhelming. The fear of it being gone forever leaves us with an incredible urge and desire to find it ASAP. And once it's been found, we release a huge sigh of relief. Not today, black hole of the universe! 

It reminds me of the time my kid wandered off at the store. We had driven three hours away to visit my in-laws cabin. My husband went fishing and my mother-in-law and I took the kids to the local Walmart to pick out their Halloween costumes. It was when we were in the meat section that I looked up and noticed my two year old was nowhere in sight. I called his name, I quickly viewed every nearby aisle, I ran over to my mother-in-law who also did not have him in tow. All in that moment, the world seemed to stop. My heart was pounding and my head was spinning. All kinds of scenarios played out in my mind and the boy was probably in a different state by now taken by child traffickers. A good ten hours later, ok so maybe more like 10 seconds later, a tousled bleach blonde little head came running around the corner with the biggest smile on his face. The lost was found and all was right in the world. Maybe you're wondering what kind of lunatic loses their kid at Walmart. But maybe you can relate?

It's Easter weekend and it's always a time of reflecting on the true resurrection story. My most favorite part of the story is when Mary Magdalene visits the tomb of Jesus, three days after his excruciating death. She notices the stone rolled away and all at once, her world stopped. He was missing. She was hysterical, crying at the tombstone. Where did her beloved friend go? Who would do such a thing and why? Nothing made sense...not to her. My most favorite line in this story is when the angels asked her "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, He has risen!" Can you imagine her joy upon hearing these words? Maybe more like confusion or shock or disbelief? But when all became right in the world, when Jesus was not in the tomb but risen from the dead, Mary's heart must have bounced out of her body. Sometimes things our lives might look a little lost - certain people we love have lost their way, a loved one recently passed on, or things just don't look so good right now. But Jesus has a better plan. The lost shall be found again. The things that are currently sitting dead in the graves we have built, He can use to rise us up. Only Jesus can lift us out of our sin, shame, guilt, and dark areas of our lives. He can give us all resurrection power if we let Him. The greatest story of all time is written in the gospels but also on the hearts of us all. Let us continue to reflect on and admire the greatest love story there ever was.

My joy in finding my lost kid at Walmart is nothing compared to the joy of Mary Magdalene finding her savior risen and walking among her again! My joy in finding my lost kid at Walmart is nothing compared to the joy of Jesus finding the lost sheep and carrying them on His shoulders. It is nothing compared to the joy of Him finally welcoming us home and telling us "Well done my good and faithful servant." I look forward to that day and I hope you all do too. Let us listen for the voice of Jesus calling us out of our graves. In this Easter season, my hope and prayer is that you could find Jesus. The way my husband finds all his missing items, the way I found my kid, and the way we all get to experience the everlasting love of God. He is not dead, He is risen!