Like for many of you, the past few days have been full. Fun. Important. Full.
I love Christmas. Each service leading up to Christmas Day seemed more meaningful to me than the last.
I left the church on Christmas Eve feeling exhausted and yet energized.
Christmas morning was quiet and full of our small family traditions. In the late afternoon we joined family at their place for Christmas dinner. It was a wonderful day!
When I arrived home I could think of no greater end to a perfect day than change into my pj’s and crawl into bed. It was then that I discovered it. One of my diamond earrings was missing. My heart sank. My mind raced. When did I lose it? Where did I lose it? I had no idea.
“Oh Lord, please help me find it,” I prayed.
The search was on and yet I was oddly calm.
Hunched over, retracing my steps I asked, “where could it be?” It could be anywhere, so we cast the net wide. Family here and family there joined in the search for my missing peice of jewelry.
After sweeping through our house, checking pillows, turning over sofa cushions, even checking the tub drain (maybe in got caught in the hair in the drain), nothing.
Brian the pragmatic said, “I am sorry but it’s gone. There is no way we’re going to find it.”
He was probably right.
Christmas night took a bit of a twist. After hours of looking, I finally put on my pj’s and climbed into bed.
The next morning (Boxing Day) I woke up at 6:20 am and couldn’t get back to sleep. I thought, “well since I am up, let’s have a chat, Lord.”
And so, I prayed. I prayed for my family and for friends and then I prayed that I would find the earring. It is just a thing, I know, but Brian gave it to me for our anniversary so it was sentimental, not to mention valuable.
As I prayed, I had a sense of calm wash over me. I got a strong sense that I needed to get up and get the day started. I sensed that there was an order to the morning: make some tea, finish your sermon for Sunday, send out the order of service and then in the light of the day go to the church.
And that is what I did.
At 9 am I got to the car but before I got in I searched the car, I search around the car and even searched the driveway and the sidewalk, retracing my steps in the morning light. Nothing.
I drove to the church. I got out of the car and searched the parking lot and the pathway into the church. Nothing. I unlocked the door and thought I should check outside the sanctuary doors, (I was hugging a lot of people the night before maybe it had fallen out there). Nothing.
I was heading to my office and I had a strong sense to go into the sanctuary. I walked in, my eyes on the ground as I made my way up the aisle. Nothing.
I checked the pew where I normally sit. Nothing.
I checked the steps. Nothing. Behind the pulpit. Nothing.
I thought I should go and turn on some lights. Wait is that something? I crouched down to look, it was a piece of glitter. Nothing.
I was about to get up and leave to go to my office and that same sense that urged me into the sanctuary, urged me to place hand on the carpet. I didn’t see anything but I put my hand down. And I felt something. Sure enough, under my hand was my diamond earring.
I was shocked.
There all alone in the sanctuary where we gather to worship our God, I wept. It wasn’t so much about the earring (though I am grateful to have found it). I wept because I sensed God’s urging. I wept because God’s presence was undeniable. I wept because I listened to the whisper and just followed even when it all seemed rather pointless. I wept because I was sure that God led me right to it. I wept because God was with me.
You may read this and think, of course it was there, or what a good bit of luck, but I believe it was God urging, leading, and guiding. When I stopped to listen, I actually heard!
God whispers because He is close.
God is faithful in all things.
God is with you!
1 King 19:11-13
Christmas blessings to you and your family!
I look forward to worshipping with you on Sunday!
