In the Parable of the Lost Coin (Jn 15), Jesus says this,
8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Brenda and I have a WHOLE new appreciation for that parable now. I am JUST back from a mission trip to Honduras with Cru. I'll say more about that later, but first the Lost Coin... or better the Lost Passport.
It is the last day of April 2017 and it dawns on me that I do NOT know where my passport is located. When we got back from Japan last August, I took it out of its usual spot in my traveler backpack, so as NOT to lose it on a U.S. trip. Well, 3 June I was scheduled to leave for Honduras. The BIG CATCH was, we had packed up MOST of our VA clothes, household goods, books, and files. And, we had packed our passports somewhere in all those boxes!!
Well, we systematically opened and inspected EVERY single box! No luck. So, a second time,
we systematically opened and inspected EVERY STINKING box! No luck.
Now, passports get LOST often, so the State Dept has procedures for reporting them lost, and for issuing replacements... but at a VERY steep charge and not all that fast. I was leaving the USA on 3 June, and 3 May was rapidly approaching- a key deadline. I was worried, very worried, and missed some sleep that night.
So, I came home from work early the next day and it was raining off and on. Brenda had suggested we PULL OUT all the boxes from the garage into the driveway to facilitate our THIRD search, but the rain killed that idea. So, we looked in all our suitcases first (about a dozen of them). Then we started searching boxes. It was about the 3rd box when we found Brenda's jewelry box, where I recalled I had stashed them. We were OVERjoyed!! But when I opened it, not a trace of anyone's passport!! Joy diminishes somewhat- but at least we know where it isn't.
Hmm, well, I must have accidentally packed the passports when I packed my clothes, since the passports were in a clothes drawer. Well, about 5 bags of clothes later- NO luck. I went back into the garage seeking another clothes bag... and there was a little blue NAVY bag, and as soon as I opened it I saw Brenda's Passport holder!! I knew next to hers, was mine!
JOY, JOY, JOY!!
I know how the angels feel now! "
"'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin (means PASSPORT in Aramaic) that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
We spent the next couple of hours rejoicing! Rejoice now with us.
8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Brenda and I have a WHOLE new appreciation for that parable now. I am JUST back from a mission trip to Honduras with Cru. I'll say more about that later, but first the Lost Coin... or better the Lost Passport.
It is the last day of April 2017 and it dawns on me that I do NOT know where my passport is located. When we got back from Japan last August, I took it out of its usual spot in my traveler backpack, so as NOT to lose it on a U.S. trip. Well, 3 June I was scheduled to leave for Honduras. The BIG CATCH was, we had packed up MOST of our VA clothes, household goods, books, and files. And, we had packed our passports somewhere in all those boxes!!
Well, we systematically opened and inspected EVERY single box! No luck. So, a second time,
we systematically opened and inspected EVERY STINKING box! No luck.
Now, passports get LOST often, so the State Dept has procedures for reporting them lost, and for issuing replacements... but at a VERY steep charge and not all that fast. I was leaving the USA on 3 June, and 3 May was rapidly approaching- a key deadline. I was worried, very worried, and missed some sleep that night.
So, I came home from work early the next day and it was raining off and on. Brenda had suggested we PULL OUT all the boxes from the garage into the driveway to facilitate our THIRD search, but the rain killed that idea. So, we looked in all our suitcases first (about a dozen of them). Then we started searching boxes. It was about the 3rd box when we found Brenda's jewelry box, where I recalled I had stashed them. We were OVERjoyed!! But when I opened it, not a trace of anyone's passport!! Joy diminishes somewhat- but at least we know where it isn't.
Hmm, well, I must have accidentally packed the passports when I packed my clothes, since the passports were in a clothes drawer. Well, about 5 bags of clothes later- NO luck. I went back into the garage seeking another clothes bag... and there was a little blue NAVY bag, and as soon as I opened it I saw Brenda's Passport holder!! I knew next to hers, was mine!
JOY, JOY, JOY!!
I know how the angels feel now! "
"'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin (means PASSPORT in Aramaic) that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
We spent the next couple of hours rejoicing! Rejoice now with us.
I wonder how much of my life has been spent looking for stuff? In our house for untold reasons we seem to do a lot of looking for stuff...LOL...I love the way you told this story, I chuckled all the way through it...And being somewhat of an eye witness to all the moving and shaking your stuff has gone through over the past year or more...I can really Rejoice with now on your find! PTL!
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