Imagine a woman who has ten valuable coins and loses one. Won’t she scour the house, looking in every nook and cranny until she finds it? And when she finds it, you can be sure she’ll call her friends and neighbours and tell them: “Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!”
If a farmer has 100 sheep, but one of the sheep is lost, what will he do? He will leave the other 99 sheep on the hill and go look for the lost sheep. Right? And if he finds the lost sheep, he is happier about that one sheep than about the 99 sheep that were never lost.
I heard these stories, called parables, the other day and they stuck with me. They were told by Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God) to anyone willing to listen and understand. I’m telling them to you now because, as a reader of this blog, I believe you’re open to spirituality.
So here’s the deal: Jesus used these parables to illustrate one of His key beliefs: that the creator and master of time, space and the universe wants ALL His human creations to become His children, living with Him forever in Heaven.
(Before you ask, there is a significant difference between creation and family member. I explain it in this blog: https://wp.me/p2wzRb-vC.)
For many years, I was that lost sheep and that lost coin of great value. I lived my life knowing there was some sort of creator, but I acted as if He didn’t exist. I looked, spoke and lived like an atheist, which – from my 60+ years on this planet – is how I perceive a majority of people function in the developed world.
My life was going just fine like this, but somehow it wasn’t enough. There was something – a sense of purpose and meaning – missing.
Thankfully, that’s where I met not just the creator of the universe, but the creator of ME. And YOU. Just as important, I met His Son and came to understand that Jesus came to this planet to
- show us all how to live
- show us who His Father is and how we connect with Him
- do what we couldn’t do: pay for all the wrong things we’ve done and all the right things we’ve failed to do.
As I learned this, I came to understand that Jesus is God’s gift to ANYONE willing to accept Him. And it’s a life-changing gift because it opens the door to a purpose-driven, meaningful life that doesn’t end when this life concludes. It goes on and on and on in Heaven. With Jesus and His Father. YOUR father, if your accept the gift.
Jesus Himself put it like this: My Father’s home is designed to accommodate all of you. I am going to make arrangements for your arrival. I will be there to greet you and welcome you home, where we will be together.
Sound good? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.
Frank's Cottage 