The 99

Wow! It's been a while since my last post. I just have not had time to sit and write, which is sad... Cause I love to write! So, in the last month or so I have been battling a lot of feelings. You know, just how people make you feel. I think though sometimes one intends to show someone you love them, they don't necessarily receive the love the way you are showing it. That is why it's good to learn other people's love languages. But at times, we are just human, and make mistakes. I'm saying all this to say, that I have been feeling worn, tired, unappreciated and honestly, just exhausted. In my exhaustion, I was napping before work and after a work out just recently, when I got a text message. And half asleep I read it, and I saw Mark 16 & Luke 15. I thought it was weird, but as I was pretty tired I went back to bed and re-read the message again and it DID not say that at all! Well, I made sure to read the scriptures when I woke up. Mark 16, it speaks of Mary, Mary Magdalene and Salome going to anoint Jesus body at the tomb. They are greeted by an angel who pretty much tells them that Jesus is not there, he is risen and doing as He said he would. Now Luke 15 speaks of Jesus speaking to sinners and hanging out with them. Now the Pharisees and scribes, well, they grumbled, complained and were saying "This man receives sinners and eats with them" Now Jesus, well, he goes into why but he does so through a parable of the sheep. Having a hundred sheep would you not leave the 99 to rescue the one that was lost? And further down he speaks of a woman who loses a silver coin and turns her house upside down to find it. And finally we see the parable of the prodigal son. Now we normally see that this tells us to go after the lost. And it did remind me of that. I don't do what I do by losing sleep, staying up late, sacrificing family events, spending money on ppl, I don't do it for anything but for the hope of seeing ONE person come to know God. If that happens, I rejoice! But what I had never truly looked at before is the 99 sheep the shepherd leaves behind. Why did he leave them, why did he not take them with him? Or in the story of the prodigal son, why is the father not throwing a party for the son who has been faithful and has remained by his side? It was then that I realized, the 99 are taken care of. Jesus has them. Tough the shepherd left to find the one, there was a sense of security he must have had to be able to leave them behind. Or the prodigal son's brother. I'm sure the father had always been proud of the son who stayed by his side. But he always had access to not just his own riches but also those of his father and his father's house. The prodigal son, had left and had nothing but the immediate things. And though he made mistakes and all, what greater joy for anyone to have someone back who they thought was gone! All this to say, I have my focus back, I am rested and ready to get back to loving people all day every day, sacrificially and to no end, but not to forget the 1st scripture. We dont do this for our own benefit, we know we will go unthanked and unnoticed and unappreciated,but we do it because He is Risen, He is faithful and He will get us through it all. Thank you to all my faithful readers and the new ones. :) Good night