Loss Without Regret

Over the course of my life I have lost a number of things--and I still scratch my head about some of them.  Years back I lost a pair of sunglasses, and I carefully retraced my steps to various shops where I had run errands that day.  Some of these shops had a "lost and found," but the glasses never turned up.  Once I lost the head cover of my Titleist putter in the parking lot of a golf club, and that was not brought to the pro shop either.  I also lost a new phone in a parking lot while hauling a Christmas tree to my truck.  That also was never returned.  The biggest stumper for me is how I lost a framed keepsake which was a signed bumper sticker from three members of The Specials and the ticket stub from when they played at Soma in San Diego with Buck-O-Nine.  For the life of me I have no idea how I could have lost it or where it ended up.

When I reach way back into the archives, I remember losing my wallet on two occasions when I worked in a trade.  Because I worked with fiberglass, I had the habit of changing out of a long-sleeved shirt and pants (with shorts underneath) before entering my truck, and after removing my wallet I once left it in the bed of my truck.  The person who found my wallet brazenly decided to order pizza and had it delievered to the apartment complex where I lived with my credit card, and it instantly clicked the next day when I couldn't find my wallet why I had been called out of the blue about a pizza order I never made.  I never recovered the wallet or the contents.  The other time I lost my wallet, I had a completely different experience.  This fellow found it in a parking lot, and he returned it to me when I picked it up at his house with anything missing.  He refused to receive anything for doing what he said anyone should do.  We sent him a Christmas card for years.

For me, feelings of loss can often be twinged with my own regrets--regret over my own carelessness or how I did not notice I dropped or left something of value to me.  When it comes to an item, I generally I do not feel I have lost anything if I know where it is.  The loss of the ability to do things we once could, the loss of a valued relationship or the loss of a loved one in death can impact everyone differently.  After my dad passed, feelings of loss were quelled by knowing my dad is in the presence of the LORD forever because Jesus died for his sins, and he received the Gospel and the Holy Spirit who transformed His life.  Even when I have suffered the loss of family members I am not sure knew or loved God, I can look to the LORD who is good and desires the salvation of sinners more than I ever could.  Shifting my focus from my situation and how I feel to God who is gracious, merciful and compassionate is most comforting.

There are people and things that cannot be replaced in this life, and that is the truth whether we like it or not.  Bodies grow old, our stuff can be lost or stolen, and everything wears down and falls apart.  Praise the LORD God is not of this world that is passing away and His love endures forever!  His mercies are new every morning because His faithfulness is great.  God has sent His Son Jesus to seek and save the lost, and all who are in Christ have been gladly found by Him.  In the parables Jesus told concerning the lost sheep, lost coin or the lost son, there was great rejoicing and celebration when what was lost was found.  Paul wrote in Philippians 3:7 those things were previously gain he counted loss for Christ, and their loss resulted only in gain without regret.  Whether the LORD gives or takes away, blessed be the name of the LORD.  We can rejoice because Jesus has found us, and He remains good.