When Ruby went missing, Jesus’ words struck home.
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?”
Jesus means these words, found in Luke 15:4, metaphorically. Speaking to the Pharisees about his penchant for keeping unsavory company, Jesus is really talking about lost sinners, not sheep. But the power of a parable depends upon our ability to understand it first on the literal level. Only when we understand the surface meaning of a symbol can we begin to grasp its deeper truth.
One year ago, I came to understand this parable as I had never understood it before.
When my dog slipped out one night and into the woods, we dropped everything to find her. Hours of searching turned into days. Each waking moment (which was most of them) was spent searching. Tramping through woods. Driving down country roads. Knocking on doors. Calling animal shelters. Handing out flyers. Sharing on social media. And praying.
I prayed God would provide food for the dog who demands her dinner every day at 3:22 p.m. I prayed God would provide shelter for the dog who likes to sleep under the blankets. I prayed God would bring home the dog who, when we had brought her home two years before, was so tiny I could fold her in my hands like a prayer. I prayed, too, that if God didn’t answer the way I wished him to, that he would somehow be glorified in this, and that he would use me—and Ruby’s life—in some way to draw others to him.
While I prayed, neighbors opened their doors to knocking, took flyers, nodded sympathies and promises. Strangers arrived to help look. Friends near and far prayed and prayed and prayed. Perhaps even you. Remember?
Of the countless ...
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