Lost

The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost (Luke 19:10).

The city auditorium was hosting a large community event. Two of the attendees were a young mother and her little daughter, Mary. However, as the day went on, the two of them got separated by the crowd. The mother sent a note to the platform which was read over the microphone: "If there is a little girl named Mary Moore in the audience, who is lost, will she please raise her hand so her mother can find her." No one raised a hand, so the mother notified the police and they started searching the neighborhood for the little girl. As time went by with no results, the mother came back to the auditorium and stood at the door watching people as they left. Among the last of them was Mary. Her mother snatched her up, crying, "Where were you, Mary?" "On the front row," replied the little girl. "Didn't you hear the man read the notice, 'If there is a little girl named Mary Moore in the audience, who is lost, will she please raise her hand so her mother can find her?' " "Yes," said Mary, "I heard it." "Then why didn't you raise your hand?" "Why, Mother, it couldn't have meant me," Mary said, "for I wasn't lost. I knew where I was."

This story illustrates a regrettable truth: many people don’t realize that they are lost. Like Mary, they know where they are, and they don’t have a care in the world. But how would Mary have felt if she had gone outside, the doors locking behind her, and Mom was no where to be seen? Could she have found her way home? Would she have had the stamina for a long hike through the city? And how safe would she have felt, walking alone in the dark?

Many people live like this. Right now, everything is going fine; they have no worries to speak of. But what will happen when events push them out of their comfort zone? Will they know what to do? Will they have the strength to deal with their problems? Will they have someone to comfort and protect them when danger rears its terrifying head?

Jesus came to seek and to save what was lost. Our lives are crowded with many things that cause us to lose sight of Jesus. When He calls out to get our attention, we are likely to ignore His voice because we don’t think that we are lost. But we need His love, His guidance, and His protection. Without Christ, life can become scary, dangerous, and lonely when you least expect it.