Finding Hope in the Lost and Found

by Beth Duewel

I am turning into my mother.  My mom hid things in places she would be sure to find them, only to discover that she had lost them in the hiding process. Go figure.

 For two weeks our home was in an uproar because I had lost all my keys. (I never loose anything minimally inconvenient, oh no.) I was certain I had misplaced the baseball-sized mess of metal while camping two weeks prior. Ranger Rick searched, my friends searched, my family searched, but it was apparent that my keys had disappeared into a state of oblivion—the same place matching socks go at our house.

Then one day it happened. While hiding something so I could find it later—yeah right—I found my missing keys. Apparently concerned that someone would break in our home while we were away camping (this is just a guess because I have no idea what I was thinking), I concealed my keys so well that even I wasn't able to locate them. (Looking back though, it would have been the first place a robber would have searched.)  

I've lost other things in my life more substantial than keys. I lost my mom who died when I was twenty-one, but found a relationship with the living God. I lost a job or two, but found a career. I lost the closeness of family to hundreds of miles, but found appreciation. I lost pieces of my father to the disease of Alzheimer’s, but found cherished memories. I lost my patience waiting in line at Wal-Mart, but somehow gathered more—usually in the form of a Hershey bar.

 Isn't it’s through loosing though, that we can gain? And find a few surprises in the meantime.

This past year has been a year of loss for many of us. As I notice an American flag I can't help but think about the soldiers that will never return, and the families that grieve them. From war to peeked gas prices, on the surface things look uncertain. When we dig deep to the bottom of our lost and found pile though, we might be surprised to uncover something we didn't know we had—hope.

There is hope in God, in prayer, in laughter with friends and family. 1 Corinthians 13:13 assures us, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (NIV) To remain means to linger, to continue—and got to love this one—to stay put. Even when we are certain our keys have gotten up and walked away, we can be certain that love and hope will stay put.

It is my confidence that God can use painful situations in our lives to make us more; not less. So relax. God is the driver of our hearts; we're just along for the ride. It’s a good thing too. BUT if you're like me, there is a good chance you're still looking for the keys. Happy hunting!

Copyright © 2007 - Elizabeth Duewel. All rights reserved.