Searching & Seeking

Each summer our family makes a mini bucket list where each member chooses something they'd like to do together. Things like bike rides, trip to the beach, mini-golfing typically make the list. This year I put geocaching as my desired activity. Everyone was pretty skeptical of this, so I bragged it up based on stories I heard and read from others! Recently we had a Saturday evening with no plans and I convinced my family that this would be a fun way to spend our evening...my husband wasn't so sure!

We headed off to our first hunt and to my excitement we found it pretty easily! My kids brought along items to "trade", but the size box was much too small to contain tradeable items. They were disappointed but excited to try another one. So we headed off on a new hunt, with our recent success spurring us on!

We found ourselves in the parking lot of Shady Maple. Any locals will know that this smorgasbord is a hopping place on a Saturday. We looked like a bunch of crazies bending over, combing through the flowerbeds looking for our "hidden treasure"! Customers started eyeing us suspiciously and my youngest son complained that this was "so embarrassing"!

After searching for a significant amount of time, we decided to give up and move onto a more remote hunt for my embarrassed family members. Sheldon was a bit hesitant because he didn't want to end up hiking through the woods in sandals....which is exactly where our third geocache took us! We found ourselves like lost souls trudging off the beaten path in search of our white capsule! To our dismay, our phone service was dwindling, so we were unsure if we were even looking in the correct spot. After darkness began creeping in and bugs eating us alive, we gave up on yet another of our searches! Needless to say, the rest of my family found my fun idea to be boring, embarrassing, and disappointing!

However, on my way out of our wooded hike, I took some time to soak in my surroundings and reflect on our experience. As I gazed at the sea of ferns, my thoughts took me to the parable about the lost coin in the Bible (Luke 15:8-10). 

A woman lost a coin, which was valuable to her, lit a lamp, swept the floor, and searched until she found it. She was diligent, patient, and thorough. These are hardly words that could describe my search for a "treasure" in a game, much less the reality of when I do lose something of value. Perhaps words like annoyance, frustration, and impatient are more easily modeled!

But what are the things we spend our time seeking? Are we pursuing God with hunger and passion? Do we wake up each morning with a thirst and excitement to read His Word? Or have we gotten distracted and pursue worldly wealth, fame, and success? I think it's a well-known fact that some of the richest and most successful people still find themselves searching for that missing piece of fulfillment that can only be found in Christ. How many professing Christians also find themselves seeking for happiness in the areas that our culture claims to bring us joy? Big houses, fancy cars, successful jobs, stylish clothing, fit bodies...they all seem to be the dreams that quickly become idols of focus. Lord, please forgive us!

The point Jesus was trying to get across through the parable of the coin is our immense value to God. We are lost sinners, but God longed for us so strongly that He made the ultimate sacrifice of His Son to die for our sins. Jesus provides the light for us to be found and there is much rejoicing over each sinner who repents. He is patient with us, not wanting any to perish. (2 Peter 3:9) May we never forget the love He pursues us with and may that reality reignite our passion to seek Him with ALL of our hearts!