Get Naked for Christ Series - Lost and Found

"You loved me when my heart was in the lost and Found" - Deitrick Haddon

Back in the fall, when it first started getting cold, my 3 boys needed new jackets. I have 3 fast growing boys, so I guess this should not have been a surprised. My wife and I went to the store and pick out some jackets. We found a real nice jacket for my youngest...it had lights on it that lit up when the jacket moved....perfect for a five year old.

One day at church, in my haste (which is normal), we left the church and forgot Nathan's jacket. Anyone with kids can relate to this. No big deal, right? We'll just get it when we go back. Went back, and the jacket could not be found. We looked in the "Lost and Found" spot at the church, looked in the secondary spot. Then we did the logical thing, retraced steps. "Nate, where did you lay it down." Ok, that's enough detail....I'll get mad all over again. I felt like the typical parent...I just spent all that money on a nice coat, and my five year old has lost. We searched, asked, never found it.

Fast forward 6 months later....We were late getting to church. Normally, this would drive me crazy. After all, I do sound at my church. It's kinda my job to get there early. But today was different. I was not allowing my anger tendencies to swell, cause I knew that was not like Christ. I had to keep my spirit right for worship. It was raining so I pulled around under the canopy and dropped my family off, even though I needed to be going in myself. It was more important to me at that moment that my wife got in on time (she sings on the praise team) and her and the kids did not have to get rained on.

I have a reserved space at church. Normally, that's where I park. Again, today was different. Instead I park on the opposite end of the church, just trying to have a shorter walk to the sound room. Went on in, service was just starting, still not frustrated like I normally would be coming in late. We had a wonderful service! The spirit moved in a very special way. One highlight of the service was our mime troop...."Where you are is where I wanna be" by James Fortune. I love that song!! It took me THERE! Went on through a great sermon, and then another anointed service.

As I was leaving, I was going out the opposite end from normal, since I parked in a different spot...me and my son Tres'. On the way, we passed Miss Black....the wonderful usher who loves to bake and gives out her deserts. As I went through her inventory, Tres says, "There's Nathan's jacket." "What!" Sure enough, there hung my son's jacket. Miss Black said in the most calm voice, "It's been hanging there all the time." Come to find out, the usher room had their own "Lost and Found".

Those words still echo in my spirit. I thought to myself, we looked every where, and it was right there.

Are you feeling lost? Are you looking around, trying to figure out how you got here? I've done that. Are you trying to figure out how to get out. Tye Tribbett did I song I love called Prodigal Son. He a rock style voice, he sings "I got to get outta here, I wanna be with You. God is saying to you like 1he said to Adam in the Garden after he sinned, "Where are you?"

Steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord. I have learned through some hard experience, that everything happens for a reason....the goood, the bad, and the ugly. We want to think that God's plan is a neat, orderly transition that get's us there in style. NO! But, it does get your there. If my Sunday, had not gone so "bad", it would not have ended so "good". If I had not gone through what I just went through, I would not be standing on the edge of God's next step in my life.

A friend of mine had a Facebook status of "Give me serenity." I pray that all the time. But, I am learning to thank God for my "issues". They come to make me strong. I keep hearing Paul say, "It was good that I was afflicted." Stop trying to figure out why you have it so bad, and thank God for the bad. (preachin' to myself)

"Look, my lights still work!" That's what Nathan said in the car as we left church. Be blessed today, knowing God's got the master plan. Hallelujah!