Snapshots of God

Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible.  Corrie Ten Boom

I love to take pictures.  One of the things that fascinate me is that photos evoke memories of a time past.  As soon as a photo is taken it is part of the past.  I carry my camera everywhere as I never know when I may see something I want to take a picture of to reflect on later.

In my devotional yesterday I spoke of Lee who makes gingerbread houses and ornaments.  On Friday evening when we were preparing to leave Lee had a large rolling bag that she wanted to return to her car.  Since Mom, Dad and I were leaving at the same time we told her we would help her get the bag to her car.  As often happens at these shows, they don’t allow you to park close to the event.  You are normally parked in the “back forty.”  If you have never heard this phrase, back forty means a remote, usually uncultivated acreage at the back of your property.  That is where we had to park our cars.  I was beginning to think our car was parked in Fort Worth.

As we were leaving I had my camera, my purse and a special bag that two very special ladies had given me as a gift.  Patty and Debbie (sisters) gave me a beautiful Vera Wang bag that I carry with me everywhere I go.  They gave me the bag as a thank you for writing the devotionals.  One of my most prized possessions is in this bag.  I have an external hard drive that holds all of my pictures, the devotionals I write and also devotional ideas that I am in the process of writing.  It has photos of my niece and nephew’s graduations, my sisters’ weddings, family photos, my dog, and even Gladys and the Pips.  Needless to say, if I ever lost this bag I would be devastated. 

Back to my story.  We get to the dock and Dad and Mom decide they will walk to the back forty to get the car and Lee and I would stay with the bags. When Dad pulls up we start loading everything in the car.  We jump in, drive Lee to her car and then Mom, Dad and I leave.  We decide to go to dinner.  Three hours later Mom and Dad take me to the house to drop me off and I realize my bag is not in the car.  The only place my bag could be is outside on the dock leaning next to a pole in downtown Dallas at the Convention Center where all kinds of people are wandering around.  The chances of my bag being there after three hours are slim. 

Dad tells me they will take me back to the Convention Center to see if it is there.  So I start praying. We pull up to the Convention Center and head up the ramp and I am praying the whole way.  As we come around the corner Dad slows down and my bag is leaning against the pole exactly where I left it.  There were cars parked everywhere on the dock but my bag was still sitting there untouched. 

This made me think of God and how He must view each of us.  We are a treasure that is lost until we turn to Him and accept his offer of Salvation.  My lost bag is minor compared to God’s people who are created in His image.  How brokenhearted He must feel when we stray away from him.  I got a snapshot this weekend of God and how His heart must break for lost souls.   

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I was able to get a snapshot of You this weekend.  My lost bag would have devastated me because I have every photo of the people I love here on earth.  The devastation I felt knowing my bag was lost is minor compared to how You must feel for all the lost souls here on earth.  Help me to bring others home to You. 

Scripture:  “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”  Luke 15:8-10

I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.  Psalm 16:8