lenten 40: day 9 - rescue is coming

image 9.

lyric.

There's a darkness in my skin
My cover's wearing thin, I believe
I'd love to start again, go back to innocent
And never leave

Don't give up now
A break in the clouds
We could be found

There's nothing wrong with me
It's just that I believe things could get better
And there's nothing wrong with love
I think it's just enough to believe

Don't give up now
A break in the clouds
We could be found

Rescue is coming

And there's nothing wrong with you
And nothing left to do
But believe something bigger
And there's nothing wrong with love
I know it's just enough to believe

Don't give up now
A break in the clouds
We will be found

Rescue is coming
now

scripture(s).
I have strayed like a lost sheep.
       Seek your servant,
       for I have not forgotten your commands.
~Psalm 119:176

"My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led
them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wandered
over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place.
~Jeremiah 50:6

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. ²But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

³Then Jesus told them this parable: ⁴"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' ⁷I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

~Luke 15:1-7

thoughts.

we were not meant to be alone.

when i was a kid, my older sister was involved with a scout-type group called Pioneer Girls. they would meet weekly for character building activities and faith study and could earn merit badges, too. one evening, the leaders took the troop of girls to a local state park for a nature walk. before long, they realized that they had walked to0 far - and night began to fall.

there they were, in the middle of the woods, with absolute darkness quickly approaching. they turned around and walked as quickly as they could back to the entrance to the woods - but soon it was too late and too dark to move. the safest thing to do was to stay put.

stranded in the darkness in an era before cellular phones, GPS and the like, there was nothing much they could do but remain in one location and wait for help to come. how long would it be before someone realized they were missing? in such a large, wooded state park, how quickly would park rangers find them?

when the missing group did not return back to the church on schedule, parents and church leaders met and prayed for their safety.

in the woods, the Pioneer adult leaders gathered the group of adolescent girls in a circle. sitting on downed branches and tree stumps they began to sing spiritual songs and choruses and remarkably, everyone stayed calm.

After hours spent in the absolute darkness of night in the woods, their singing and praying never ceased. It was because of their 'crying out' that they were eventually found by park rangers.

all returned home safely in the wee early hours of the morning. parents and towns people rejoiced at their safe arrival. the leaders of that group trusted and believed that 'rescue was coming.' and rescued, they were. they never lost hope.

we were not meant to be alone in darkness. the Good Shepherd loves his flock and will never leave any one behind. No matter where we may wander - whether purposeful or accidental, the Shepherd desperately wants us to be home and safe. but when one loses hope, what else is there? we have to believe. we have to trust. no matter what we've done or where we've been - rescue is coming.

there is hope. believe it. cry out and be found.