Courtyard to Entrace - Part 1 ...
What does it mean to be lost?
Everyone who has been lost knows the feeling, but we might not be able to find the right wording until we understand, that we are lost. And even then, the feeling and reality of it is somethings hard to grasp because it happens on so my different levels and because each experience with it is different. And yet there are guaranteed aspects when in the state of lostness.
- You are not sure where you are. If anything, you don’t know where you are at all.
- Many times, you are rather stumbling through a situation or life in general.
- Connected to this is the not knowing where to go aspect. It sounds logical, that if you don’t know where you are, maybe you might not know where to go. The reality is, YOU DON’T KNOW. Because even if you are moving and you manage to stay in motion you don’t know if you are moving forwards backwards sideways because there is nothing you can see that you are moving towards.
- Another aspect is the “being lived” and things happening to you. Basically, a state of reaction rather than action or being pro-active. People and things keep happening to and upon you. And with time dictating where you are and where you are going. In other words, you are a victim of your circumstance.
- That goes hand in hand with the very real helplessness (sometimes situational sometimes literal and in general)
- There is a lack of motivation because there is lack of purpose.
- There is some pattern or repetitive, recurring situation.
- A sensation of loneliness or misfit
- A circling around yourself and your thought or the opposite a numbing of everything
- A form of coping or regulation or compensation to sooth the ache for a moment
- Pain
There are more things of course that would go on this list, but these are the 10 I decided to write down.
The reasons behind being lost are overwhelming. There are just to many;
You took a wrong turn in life because you where chasing something that was a momentary goal.
Someone took advantage of you and left you to blead out.
You where mislead and never fully understood because you never made independent decisions and upon waking up from it you find yourself having lead to take turns you didn’t even register… to name a few.
The most unfair part about this is… often it is not even your fault you are lost. But that’s just the issue at hand. If we go down that Tunnel we will end up at the beginning of ages and the Fall of Lucifer.
That’s not where we are going with this.
Rather we need to understand, what it means to be lost so that we can understand when we have been found or even that we need to be found.
There is a parable that we hear Jesus teach by.
Parable of the Lost Sheep in Matthew 18:12-1412 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? 13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! 14 In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish. I wonder whether that sheep even realized it was wondering of. I wonder if it even realized it was going lost. I think that it even might have been scared of by something maybe stopped or turned to evade the supposed danger and then lost sight of the rest of the herd.
And then there is the Prodigal son. The Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-3211 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to[a] one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’[b]22 But the father said to his servants,[c] ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. 25 “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”
Here you can actually see that the son premeditated he choice that was bourn out of discontent and finds its root in ungratefulness and perhaps resentment or jealousy. Then upon returning home we don’t really receive the conclusion of why in the first place and if any other consequences followed, because there is none to give than the one, we get. A father in full sprint towards His child , with his clothes bundled up into sports mood. And then there is the parable of the lost coin. The Parable of the Lost Coin8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins,[a] if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Footnotes Luke 15:8 Greek ten drachmas; a drachma was a Greek coin approximately equal in value to a Roman denarius, worth about a day's wage for a laborer. First of all, what a choice of parables. Jesus needed to use language that those listening would not only audibly understand but be able to relate to.
Shepherds, Parents, Laborers. What I find poetic about this is, that Jesus himself could relate to all three of these roles. Who if not Jesus know what shepherding looks like, when his entire ministry he did precisely that. Who if not the son of God understood Parenthood, having been there as the foundations of the earth where formed…? And Jesus had known labor both in a traditional sense, as a craftsman, but more importantly as the savior of the entire world….
Each of these parables have the same purpose but slightly different nuances.
The sheep seems to have stubbled out of the care of the shepherd. So perhaps accidentally or carelessly lost its way. The prodigal son was more intentional and pro active in making himself lost because of his own selfish reasons. And the coin would be case where one is an absolute victim and not lost out of carelessness or out of foolishness. The result however is always being lost, nonetheless.
That brings us to main and last point. Being lost mean you can not get out of it by yourself.
That not to bash anyone or underestimate anyone capabilities. However, the very fact that one is lost is the evidence, that there is no chance we can get out by ourselves. You can not unloose yourself and – no matter what esoteric or some religions say- you CAN NOT find yourself.
Some of us thought we had and learned it the hard way, some of us though where painfully aware that we didn’t have a chance to get out of lostness, especially when we are not the group that made active choices to get lost in the first part but where misplaced by someone/something else.
There is a warning and an encouragement to be had here.
Warning: You might have everything cleaned up and well put together and feel as though your life is perfect and still be absolutely lost. That’s also to warn onlookers, that think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. You don’t know the struggles and the lostness of your neighbor, so please don’t wish you had their life, simply because it looks like a life you might like. In fact, so many people that seem all neat and perfect are further away from being found, because they believe they have got it all figured out, meanwhile those that look all messy are being found, because they are looking to be found… because they are full aware that they need finding.
Encouragement: Becoming aware of your lostness is painful but good. It’s the first step to being found. Also, there is no place on the face of the world you can be placed, where you become to lost for the Shepherd to find you.
And lastly, when the Shepherd finds you, you will know, because there is nothing like it and it will change your life like only the Shephard is able to. And no mater the wounds and aches that your lostness has inflicted upon you, the Shepherd will always know how to treat them to full healing,…if you let Him. If you let Jesus be Jesus.
Prayer of the lost
(I prayed something similar to this, when I was at my lowest points) Help me …
HELP ME
Save me, from my lostness.
I do not know where I am and I don’t know where I am going.
I don’t know what to do. I am Lost in every way. I need you to help me.
If you are there and you are listening, please hear me.
I hear you care about me. I want to believe that, but I am still unsure. I know I don’t trust you.
But, I have come to the end of myself and can’t go on like this.
I am desperate.
I am in pain.
Its cold.
Its dark.
And I am tired. I’m done. I’m so done.
So I call upon your Name.
Shepherd. Jesus.
Help me…
The Shepherds responce
“Here I am. Listen to my voice. YOU ARE MINE”
Psalm 23 A psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
2 He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3 He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
4 Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,[a]
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
5 You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever.
My prayer
Dear Lord.
Heavenly Father.
Hear the cry of the lost and answer it.
Open their ears to hear that you have been calling out to them all along, because you are a good Shepherd who goes after His sheep.
Let them know, that they have been found and invited into your Home and protection.
Let them feel the warmth of reality of your presence.
I pray, that you would comfort them and tend to their wounds.
I pray, that they would understand your language, because no one can speak Love better than You.
AND WHEN YOU SPEAK IT CHANGES AND TURNS AROUND LIVES.
Souverain God.
Our Father.
Your mercy endures forever.
Amen and Amen