Spiritual Thought for the Week- Lost, Not Really Lost-Not Really SOURCE: Personal Experience by Austin Frederick, Jr. I spent last weekend in Houston with the grandchildren. Our time together included watching Cub Scout box car derby races and baseball games, eating at fine restaurants that specialized in hamburgers and pizzas, playing on the trampoline and catching baseballs in the backyard, riding bicycles around the neighborhood and stores for ice cream, going to church for worship and God and Country badges. A joyous weekend enabled by the occasional nap on the couch while sporting events were being aired on TV. “Has anyone seen my IPhone?” I called out as luggage was being loaded into the car. “No” and a lot of “It’s not here’s” followed as we began to retrace my joyous steps while dialing the number to a non-responsive IPhone. As the reality of a lost phone set in with a 1½ hour search, getting home before dark, reporting and replacing it, so did a lost sense of joy. I declared the phone lost and weekend lost as we hit the road. On our way home there was a phone store where we stopped to share my story and declaration with Kristian. Kristian met me at the door with a warm welcome, listening ear and a question. “Do you have the “Find my IPhone” app on your phone?” A “what’s that look” came across my face as he explained the phone’s features and with some information, my IPhone popped up on his IPhone screen. Kristian asked if I lived close by because my IPhone’s location was showing up near the store. We went to the car and as I was going back through luggage and unmentionables, he said, “Let’s see if we can make it talk”, and with a few more screen touches my IPhone could be heard from under the front seat. My joy was restored with thanksgiving shared with family and Kristian’s. A few things about life and lost-not really’s beyond apps for keeping up with our things. 1)
That which is lost is never really lost when it was never ours to begin with.
2)
That which is lost is never really lost when it’s waiting to be rediscovered.
3)
Joys are never really lost when shared as thanksgiving for family and Kristian’s.
Something to Think About “All is Never Lost” **Austin Frederick, Jr. is on our Board of Directors and provides support for the Spiritual Development Committee. For more information you can visit www.provplace.org.