Craig Clouston

Left at the IGA

Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine … and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
Luke 15:4

They were headed for the nursing home to visit Gramma. Sally, one of five girls, was asleep in the back seat when Momma stopped at the IGA. Living twenty-plus miles from the grocery store meant taking the opportunity to shop when it presented itself.
Awakening, Sally found the car empty. Getting out of the car, Sally entered the store undetected. Drawn to the shiny aluminum strip along the display cases in the cold-food section, Sally momentarily forgot her objective. The cool, variegated silver bar (at just the right level for a four-year-old) called to her, inviting her to run her fingernails against its irregular surface. Sally giggled as she ran to the meat case at the back of the store. From one end of the store to the other she went, fingernails gliding over the shiny, diamond-plated surface. It tickled her fingers!
As she turned to make her next pass, she could see up the long aisle and out the doors at the front of the store. She froze! Momma’s car was moving! She was being left behind! She ran for the front of the store screaming, “Momma!” As she reached the doors, she was gently scooped off her little feet by a kindly woman. Comforting Sally and holding her close, she tenderly whispered, “Momma will be back, hon. Don’t you worry.” She knew the young mother would return. And sure enough, ten minutes later, through bullet-sized tears, Sally saw her Momma jump from her car, running, arms extended toward her.

†

Everything changed when Momma realized her child was nowhere to be found. Her purpose shifted from a visit to Gramma to a mission of finding her lost child.
Jesus feels the same way about those who have strayed from the flock. He will not rest until they are safe in the fold. Like Sally, we can become sidetracked by the things of this world. And like the kindly woman, Jesus will send one of His own to comfort and embrace the lost child until, through the tears, he sees Him coming.

Prayer

“Thank You, Jesus, for always looking for us when we’re lost. Amen.”