Most of us have experience of losing something valuable or precious.

My dentist recently fitted me, at great expense, with a nifty little denture to replace two broken teeth.

One evening, I removed the device and put it down.

When retiring to bed it was nowhere to be seen.

Having looked for it in vain and roused my wife from her sleep, after an hour’s search she finally found it in our kitchen waste bin. 

It was only a tiny acrylic object but the need to locate it felt urgent.

The story brings to mind a story told by Jesus.

A shepherd with a flock of 100 sheep lost one of them.

Leaving the others, sparing no effort and risking every danger from weather and wild animals, he searched until he found his precious lost sheep.

We are infinitely more precious to God than sheep or teeth.

Many people in these uncertain days are like sheep, lost and helpless.

Jesus told us He came into this world to seek and to save the lost, not those who think they have life sorted.

May we be willing to be found by the Good Shepherd, and to follow Him, guided and protected by His care and wisdom.