When do you call off the search? It makes sense, that people who do not feel they have lost anything, won’t likely be doing any searching. We are living in a time, when so many are only interested in their own group; their own welfare and only those that are important to them. The idea, that someone else might be missing something of value to them, and could use some help in finding it, may often not interest those with a self-centered focus. They have theirs.

Doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results is simply foolish; it doesn’t work. There is an old slogan some of us learned years back, and it simply says, “If nothing changes, nothing changes.” At some point and time, some of us need to re-evaluate where we are, and what methods we have used to get there. If at the end of this evaluation, we find we are not where we wanted to be or prefer to be, we have some decisions to make. What must I do differently; is their another approach.

The one missing sheep, had to be important to the shepherd, first of all. If he simply felt comfortable with having only ninety and nine, when he once had a hundred, he might decide to let the wolves have this one. Many of us are so very grateful, that the true Gentle Shepherd, had no such feelings. It is likely, that a shepherd with the other kind of attitude, might look over the flock one day, and discover that, a great deal more, are missing than he thought. Even with the number dwindling, he’s comfortable with the loss.

There are those in this hour, that have determined, that they are going to reclaim everything they feel they have lost. Whether it was taken by the enemy, by the greed of others or by their own personal or selfish way. No matter; they want it back. It’s been years for some now, that they have been on this journey; it’s time for an inventory. How much have you been able to recover; is there yet more that remains lost. An honest question may apply here; how much, have you helped others, recover theirs also.

Most things on this spiritual journey, cost the same as they did before; there is no discount price. And it might depend on just how hard, we are really searching for those things. I feel the need to bring this down to my own experience today; what did I once have, that I don’t have today. Did I reach or receive those things of the Spirit, I once desired; and why not. We’ve lost some things; people can look away from that if they want. I read today that Nehemiah sat down, and took counsel with himself. Can I?

~ Robert Blackburn

Robert Blackburn