The God Who Searches #fiveminutefriday

“But we need to go NOW!”
“But I NEED TO FIND IT – it’s my favourite!”

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the minute you want to go out for a date your favourite bag, scarf or coat will curiously have gone missing. This week, in preparation for a rare dinner date while on holiday for some winter sun, I was dressed up accordingly – apart from my best black pashmina.

This is when you discover just how much stuff has accumulated in random places. Michael Rosen’s poetry lay next to a sand-covered rash vest, a pair of children’s sandals was in the middle of the floor with some very dusty white socks flung by the entrance, and in amongst the bedclothes were five coloured dice and three cardigans.

After rummaging frantically for ten minutes, we had almost given up, and I was getting to the point of thinking it lost altogether, and feeling sad about my best, most useful and warm scarf. In the scale of world events, it’s not a lot to worry about, but I was sad nonetheless, and continued searching, even though my arms were rapidly running out of energy.

Of course, it was in the most unlikely place of them all: hanging up in the wardrobe.

***

I think of the Lost parables in Luke’s gospel – the lost coin, lost sheep, lost son – and it strikes me that here is a God who searches. So often we think of God as static, waiting for people to find him, as though it is a cosmic game of hide and seek. It can feel like we are doing all the work, particularly when God feels distant and silent.

But the spiritual reality is that God is already on the move, desperate and frantic to find God’s best and favourite person. (That’s you, by the way).

God’s rummaging as frantically as the woman who lost a tenth of her money, the shepherd who lost one per cent of his flock. Whatever the statistics are, it doesn’t matter – the individual has value in God’s sight.

So when you’re lost and feel far from God, change that image of a God impatiently twiddling thumbs, waiting passively for you to return. God’s throwing cushions up in the air, sorting through dirty washing, running from room to room, refusing to leave until the favourite person is back again. If you’re feeling lost, know this: God’s already running towards you.

Joining with #fiveminutefriday. This was my best five minutes on Search

Over to you:

• What difference does it make to you to have the image of God searching rather than passively waiting?

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