As an engagement gift, my girlfriend ( now my bride of some 5 years.) gave me a diamond stud for my ear. I gave her a much larger diamond on a ring of course, but that is another story.
I was in the habit of not wearing it to work by replacing it with a gold stud, however one day i forgot to change it out. I went about my duties, which involved the use of a whipper snipper, and the safety gear requisite for said work, as well as getting around the paddock on a four wheel motorbike, which of course means using a helmet.
It was just as i took my helmet off, i felt something fall onto my shoulder, between my shirt collar and my neck. I knew immediately what it must be, the backing clip for the stud! Then i felt for the stud itself.... Gone!!!
Not feeling quite as bad as Gollum did, i spent a few hours that day walking back and forth over the area i had been in visually scouring the ground for any glint of light from the diamond, or a hint of gold from the post. No no no. For the next three weeks i anytime i passed that area at work i had my eyes glued to the ground. My bride, as she had become by this time was understandably upset, it had cost a lot and she was on a pension, but she didnt want me to buy a replacement, bless her for her faith, she prayed that God would reveal it to me when the time was right. Well, i left it at that.
One day, approximately three years after i had lost the stud, i was driving to work having listened to my usual teaching program on the local christian radio and just flicked the radio off, when i felt God ask me if i thought anyone in the world was beyond His reach. That is was there anyone so lost that they could not be found/saved?
Now i have to admit, my answer to this has varied over the years, as i have gone from liberal to conservative to pentecostal to whatever, so my answer was perhaps vague, or if not that then similar to John's answer of "Sir, you know".
Well He does know, and being the creator of my spirit mind and body, He knows how to teach me.
As i was walking down to check on one of the dams, a small yellow straw, sticking out of the dirt, where countless rabbits, foxes, birds, tractors motorbikes and people had already crossed over, caught my attention. It was like a pull in my gut. I looked hard at it for a moment or two and started to walk on, but found my feet wouldn't budge and my eyes became fixated upon this tiny yellow straw, not much different to the thousands, no millions of tiny yellow straw bits sticking out of the dirt all over the place. Finally after a few minutes i gave up trying to walk on and actually bent over to pick up this little yellow straw.
Yes, dearest reader, you have already guessed, it was indeed the diamond stud, buried diamond down in the dirt. It was some thirty yards from where i thought i had dropped it.
I was so excited, i nearly went home for the day, but stayed on rejoicing all day about having found this lost article.
When my beautiful bride saw it in my ear she was so overwhelmed, we jumped around the kitchen holding hands for about thirty seconds. ( we are both over forty).
That weekend at our church we took along a small feast to share with the church in celebration of having found the earring. Just as in the parable of the lost coin.
Anyway, i have digressed a little. The answer that God gave me to the question He asked is a most resounding and very definite NO! There is no-one so lost that they can not be found/saved.
The thought that followed this was that people are saved, not through our effort, but by His Spirit, for by my effort I failed to find the lost stud, but in answer to the believing faithfilled prayer of myself and my wife, the Spirit of God led me to seeing the lost stud, and so i draw this conclusion; two things are required by God for us to be involved in His purpose of salvation, 1 believing faithfilled prayer for a particular persons salvation, 2 keep yourself available and responsive to His call.
How that comes out in your life my dear reader is a matter between you and Father God.
Blessings and peace to all
Tom.
I was in the habit of not wearing it to work by replacing it with a gold stud, however one day i forgot to change it out. I went about my duties, which involved the use of a whipper snipper, and the safety gear requisite for said work, as well as getting around the paddock on a four wheel motorbike, which of course means using a helmet.
It was just as i took my helmet off, i felt something fall onto my shoulder, between my shirt collar and my neck. I knew immediately what it must be, the backing clip for the stud! Then i felt for the stud itself.... Gone!!!
Not feeling quite as bad as Gollum did, i spent a few hours that day walking back and forth over the area i had been in visually scouring the ground for any glint of light from the diamond, or a hint of gold from the post. No no no. For the next three weeks i anytime i passed that area at work i had my eyes glued to the ground. My bride, as she had become by this time was understandably upset, it had cost a lot and she was on a pension, but she didnt want me to buy a replacement, bless her for her faith, she prayed that God would reveal it to me when the time was right. Well, i left it at that.
One day, approximately three years after i had lost the stud, i was driving to work having listened to my usual teaching program on the local christian radio and just flicked the radio off, when i felt God ask me if i thought anyone in the world was beyond His reach. That is was there anyone so lost that they could not be found/saved?
Now i have to admit, my answer to this has varied over the years, as i have gone from liberal to conservative to pentecostal to whatever, so my answer was perhaps vague, or if not that then similar to John's answer of "Sir, you know".
Well He does know, and being the creator of my spirit mind and body, He knows how to teach me.
As i was walking down to check on one of the dams, a small yellow straw, sticking out of the dirt, where countless rabbits, foxes, birds, tractors motorbikes and people had already crossed over, caught my attention. It was like a pull in my gut. I looked hard at it for a moment or two and started to walk on, but found my feet wouldn't budge and my eyes became fixated upon this tiny yellow straw, not much different to the thousands, no millions of tiny yellow straw bits sticking out of the dirt all over the place. Finally after a few minutes i gave up trying to walk on and actually bent over to pick up this little yellow straw.
Yes, dearest reader, you have already guessed, it was indeed the diamond stud, buried diamond down in the dirt. It was some thirty yards from where i thought i had dropped it.
I was so excited, i nearly went home for the day, but stayed on rejoicing all day about having found this lost article.
When my beautiful bride saw it in my ear she was so overwhelmed, we jumped around the kitchen holding hands for about thirty seconds. ( we are both over forty).
That weekend at our church we took along a small feast to share with the church in celebration of having found the earring. Just as in the parable of the lost coin.
Anyway, i have digressed a little. The answer that God gave me to the question He asked is a most resounding and very definite NO! There is no-one so lost that they can not be found/saved.
The thought that followed this was that people are saved, not through our effort, but by His Spirit, for by my effort I failed to find the lost stud, but in answer to the believing faithfilled prayer of myself and my wife, the Spirit of God led me to seeing the lost stud, and so i draw this conclusion; two things are required by God for us to be involved in His purpose of salvation, 1 believing faithfilled prayer for a particular persons salvation, 2 keep yourself available and responsive to His call.
How that comes out in your life my dear reader is a matter between you and Father God.
Blessings and peace to all
Tom.
