The Lost Ring

    I enjoy stories, whether true or fictional. Here is a real story that happened to me: one day I was at soccer coaching. My goalkeeper needed to step out for a minute for a break during a short sided game. I stepped in and tried to take my purity ring off before I got a fat finger from a shot. 

   As I was pulling the ring off, one of the girls took a shot. I dove for it and was pulled into the game. Once my keeper was good to come back in, I stepped out. Then I went to touch my ring finger and realized my ring was not there. One of my players noticed I seemed preoccupied and asked me what was wrong. I told her I lost my ring. She said, "oh no! We will help you look for it." 

   After practice was over, I started looking for the ring. I looked in my bag first, to be sure I did not leave it in there. Then I went to the goal. Looking at the place where I had to dive to make a save, I found the ring! 

   The girl who was helping me look was so happy we found it, and so was I. This is a very simple event that occurred in my life, but it had a profound connection to the Bible.

   In Luke 15, Jesus tells of three parables. One of the lost sheep, where a shepherd leaves his 99 sheep to find 1 that was lost. The next of a woman who lost 1 of her 10 silver coins. When she finds it, she rejoices. The last about a son who asked for his inheritance early, left home, squandered his inheritance, went back home, and the father accepted him back into his household.

   If I were to ask you what these stories have in common, you would probably be able to guess easily: things that were lost then found. They seem like simple stories but if you have ever lost something you cared for, you know how good it feels to find it. 

   In the same way, God rejoices when one of his children was lost and becomes found. When I lost my ring, the player asked me if I was sentimental. I told her a bit, but the truth was I had that ring since high school (for 10 years). It was not worth much, but it was worth a lot to me. 

   That made me think about God. He is sentimental. He loves all of us and we are worth so much more than a ring. God does not want any of us to perish. He wants to give each of us a chance to join his family. That's how much he loves us. He loves us so much that he sent his son to die for us. It is amazing to think about.

   Think of a time you lost something, then found it. How did you feel? Are you lost right now, and God is calling you to him? If you have been found by God, how can you help those who are lost be found?

 

How You Relax

    One day I was doing a devotional for the LBC Women's Soccer Team about stress. I talked about how we all relax in different ways. Some people read. Others watch TV. While others, who are much more devoted than I, may go for a run. It doesn't matter how you do it, but everyone needs to relax at some point or run the risk of burning out.

   During the devotional I asked the girls how they combat stress, or what they do to relax. There were many of the typical answers then one girl said "Jesus." The coach thought she said "cheese." This misunderstanding made everyone laugh. 

   The truth is that Jesus is a good answer for this question. He even encouraged his followers to relax. Mark 6:31 says: "And he said to them, 'Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.' For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat." Jesus recognized that needed to rest. Yet, if you look at this passage in context, this is where Jesus feeds the 5,000. He wanted to rest but he did not let his wants get in the way of an opportunity the Lord gave him.

   Finding a balance of completing the mission God has given you and resting is vital. There will be times we really want to rest but an opportunity comes up. We must be willing to sacrifice as Jesus did. We also must be smart about resting when we have time.

   So, are you resting when you need to/have time to? Are you looking for opportunities to spread the Good News?

Zombies Among Us

    One time I was on a bus ride with my team, and we were playing a game of would you rather. One question came up about the zombie apocalypse. Now, of course, being Christians, we don't believe in zombies for real. But the girls were trying to decide who they would want to go through the apocalypse with.

   This scenario got me thinking about zombies. Did you know there are zombies among us? Not the gross ones you are thinking of. I'm talking about the fact that according to the Bible we live in a sinful world. We are dead in our sin. Thus, we are the walking dead. Unless that fact changes at some point in our lives, we will die and go to hell.

   But there's good news, we can live again. Romans 6:4 says, "We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." If we accept that we are sinners, confess our sins, and believe that Jesus died for them then Jesus is our savior. We are alive in him. No longer the walking dead, but alive! It is amazing to think about.

   So, are you dead or alive? If you are dead, I encourage you to learn how you can truly live in Christ (read the book of Luke). If you are alive in Christ, how are you spreading the gospel so others can live in Christ?