The missing piece
By CHERYL CRUCE
I have worn a 30-inch gold chain that carried the simplest of gold crosses for years.
Both are very petite in design and lightweight. As some pieces may, the necklace never felt cumbersome or in the way of my clothing. Truthfully, I often forgot I was wearing the cross until it glistened in the sunlight.
The necklace held no sentimental value, yet it often helped me through uneasy moments of life. During anxious moments, I would reach up to touch it and say a silent prayer.
And now it is gone.
I have searched high and low, overturning every nook and cranny I have entered in the past few days. I have sifted through junk drawers, laundry baskets, chests of drawers, and trashcans. Combing the front yard of our home and the church yards multiple times uncovered nothing of the missing piece.
There is not a corner of my life that has not been searched. Nevertheless, its location remains a mystery that may never be resolved.
I realize I can wear other necklaces and crosses from my jewelry chest. I can purchase another cross like the one I have lost, but it would be different.
Somewhere in the recesses of my mind, its location will trouble me. The piece will always be considered lost, causing my search to continue endlessly.
This “need to find” nature of the human spirit dates back to the earliest of history. In Luke 15, the Pharisees accused Jesus of eating with the tax collectors and sinners. Jesus’ response resulted in three parables. The first speaks of a great shepherd leaving the flock of ninety-nine to search for the lost one. In the second parable, Jesus references a woman with ten silver coins. Suddenly she realizes one coin is missing. She methodically searches, sweeping her home until the coin is found. Finally, the closing speaks of a prodigal son and his return home. Each case has a grand celebration when the lost is found.
So it is with our relationship with the Heavenly Father. The Lord calls us His treasured possession (Malachi 3:17). We are precious in the sight of God because of His great love (Isaiah 43:4).
Nonetheless, because of the sinful nature of this world, we are as lost to Him as the coin to the woman, the lamb to the shepherd, and the son to the father.
C.S. Lewis said. “The salvation of a single soul is more important than the production or preservation of all the epics and tragedies in the world.”
Reclaiming one lost soul was worth the tragedy of the Cross of Jesus.
Ask yourself this question, are you secure with the ninety-nine, or has the chaotic undertone of this world pulled you away from the Cross of Calvary? The Good Shepherd is searching for you if you are in the thicket. His greatest desire is to bring back to the safety of the fold. Scripture teaches that the angels of Heaven will rejoice and sing when the lost are returned. (Luke 15:10).
Maybe the time has come for you to pick up your Bible and read of His love for you. Spend time in prayer with the Father. Become a vital part of a fellowship of believers. You will discover that YOU are the “missing piece” the church is searching for. Let today be a celebration of finding what is lost as you rediscover your relationship with God.
Jeremiah 24:7 I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God.
Cheryl Mixon-Cruce is Pastor of Ochlockonee Bay United Methodist Church and Sopchoppy United Methodist Church.