A few weeks ago, a friend and coworker got lost hiking a waterfall. She stepped, by total accident, into a thigh-deep hole. Taking over an hour to free her leg, she was losing day light. She then lost her trail. For two nights, she was lost in the woods. On Tuesday, we came to work quiet and solemn. We were all anxious for our dear friend to be found. Around mid-morning, word spread like wild fire in our department. She was safe! She had been found! Several hours later a few pictures began surfacing on social media — one being this incredible picture I’ve shared. Sitting, wrapped in a rescue blanket and her rescuer beside her, she looks up at him with a smile. To me it was striking! To me the picture screamed, “FOUND.” What a great word!
I’ve always loved the classic song Amazing Grace.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound.
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I’m found
Was blind, but now I see.
Beautiful words written by a not so beautiful guy, John Newton. Very relevant for these last few days, John Newton was a slave trader. He was a rough man having many close calls with death. His slave trade days through his redemption and consequential fight to abolish slavery, is an interesting read.
I suppose there are a million different ways — between losing your literal trail in the woods to being a slave trader — a person can be lost. It happens when we lose the Light. When our gaze comes off the Way. We wander and search and relapse into old ways of thinking. We revert to the same bad habits. We become calloused. We lose morality. The thoughts of our hearts become evil continually. We become wretched.
But.
Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound!
Like the lost sheep we are, He searches for us and rescues us. With His light, we can see again. He redeems our life regardless. Once we were lost. But now? Scream it! Now, we are FOUND!
It’s truly a wonderful word!