Listen

“Or what woman, if she owns ten silver coins and loses one of them, won’t light a lamp and sweep the house, searching her home carefully until she finds it? When she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Celebrate with me because I’ve found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, joy breaks out in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who changes both heart and life.”

Luke 15:8-10

Think

One of the most frustrating feelings for me is losing something and not being able to find it. No matter how hard or how long I search, it seems like there is always that one thing I can’t find. For me, it’s usually my sunglasses or my car keys; for my husband, it’s typically his wallet. Now we don’t usually celebrate by throwing a party, but it sure is a sigh of relief when that lost item is found!

But what makes this woman’s celebration different is her intentionality in searching for a lost coin even though she has nine others. She could have forgotten about it, left it in the dust, or moved on with her life; but she doesn’t. She takes the time to carefully search every nook and cranny of her home, and invites her friends to rejoice in the lost coin being found. She invites others to the table; she includes the people she loves with an act of kindness that is greater than any one coin’s worth.

Anna Beth Cross

Pray

God, you have searched me and know my heart.

Challenge me to acts of kindness with deep intention.

Help me to seek what is lost so that your love may be found.

Amen.

Go

Go with love, showing compassion, offering forgiveness, seeking out kindness, sharing joy, and celebrating mercy. Amen.