It’s Monday, October 27, 2014

 

I just recovered my iPad about a minute ago.  I had taught at church yesterday and I use my iPad for my notes (as well as for music charts when I’m on for music).  When gathering kids and belongings together to try and exit the building I threw the iPad case in my backpack assuming that the iPad was in it.  Later that evening I had  a mild heart attack when I realized that the case was empty (the case has a bluetooth keyboard built in and so there is some weight to the case, for those of you that were wondering how I could think the iPad was in the case).  

It’s a sad dose of reality when a mobile device can make you feel helpless without it (brilliant marketing Apple, you got me hook line and sinker).  But it's true, I can function at about 80% of what I need to do for my job and tasks from my iPad.  I “need” it.  So the thought of being without it literally made me feel like I couldn’t function.  

 

My panic attack was quickly subsided by a little app called “Find My Phone”.  I launched that app and all of our Apple devices are registered so that I can literally find the exact location of any device that may be lost.  I can choose to play a sound so that I can hear it in case it got kicked under the couch.  I can have it operate in lost mode which limits its functionality or I can erase the entire device so that in the case of theft, my information will not be available.  Pretty amazing stuff.  All of this while the device is still technically "lost”.  I launched this app and within a few seconds the app said it found my iPad and opened a map with a tag to its location.  

 

Let’s see, it's in between Cardinal Lane and Riverview… oh… I left it at church.  

 

I assumed its safety and waited until I arrived this morning to remotely play a sound on the iPad so that I can audibly track it down.  It was in the lost and found (with a new selfie of the facilities staff that found it… Thanks Megan).  

 

This little experience made me think of Luke 19:10 which says “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (ASV).

 

It says “that which was lost.” Other translations simply say “the lost”.  It doesn’t say “whom was lost”.  It says “what”.  Interesting.  Not personal.  Sounds more like a thing.  So what is it then?  

 

There are some authors and thinkers that say the “thing” that was lost was relationship.  Jesus came to seek out and save relationship with the Father, much like my iPad hunt, he is going to use every resource that has been given on heaven and earth to seek, introduce, repair, save, reconcile and encourage relationship with the father even at the expense of his own life.  I would not die for my iPad.  I don’t even need for anything of substance in my life and relationships, but I do need relationship with God.  What if I had the same intensity in my pursuit of him as he is intensely pursuing me?  What would happen? If I am being honest, I don’t pursue him with nearly the intensity that he pursues me.  It’s easy for me to just hide in the corner and wait for him to find me, which he always does. He has way more power than a “find my lost child” app.  He knows my thoughts.  He knows my tendencies.  He knows my escape routes before I do.  And yet he patiently, relentlessly pursues and hones in on my location until he finally says “There you are, I knew I’d find you”.  Similar to his response to Adam and Eve in the garden after they hid themselves.  God is wandering through the garden saying “Where are you?” (he knew exactly where they were, but he was gentle and patient enough to take the posture of discovery rather than finger pointing authority).  “Why are you hiding?” (again, he knew but he is entering into the relational reality and allowing Adam and Eve to be vulnerable instead of shamed).  “Who told you?” (once again, he knew, but he was allowing the discovery of error to be the springboard for growth and change).  

 

I know that Jesus loves me and has paved the way for relationship with the father.. but.. I still hide sometimes.  He has to wander the garden of my soul again and ask those familiar questions.  Where are you? Why are you hiding? What lies have you believed? Come on, let’s go home.  

 

"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

Hebrews 4:12 NIV

 

What I’m listening to: 

Chris Tomlin’s new Album “Love Ran Red"

 

Do you want a quick lesson in unbelievable pitch, rhythm and a ceiling-less falsetto?  Watch this clip of a fellow APU grad.  Note that they switch harmony and melody parts halfway through, and yes, that is the guy.