I can be so silly sometimes. I have to laugh when something is right before me, and I miss it because of preoccupation.

In my role with Awe Star, I have the privilege of meeting with students weekly. It isn't anything organized usually, but they stop in frequently to share and to pray. I always look forward to this. The one on one connection with them is my favorite part of interacting with this family.

It is interesting to me how much of a family we/they truly are. I remember back to the Celebration of BJ's life, we had the unique opportunity as a family (the four of us) to meet with two or three dozen people who had come from all over the USA and South America to honor our son. This was no small fete.

Yes, we also had blood family from all over the USA, many of whom we had literally not seen in many, many years. It was very special to us that they had come at this hour. They reflected love in all they did for us.

The Awe Star family that came evoked an unexpected reaction in me. I found myself yearning to be with them. There was desperation within me to spend time, to get to know them. They knew my son in a way I did not. They spent time with him on the mission field, they had awesome stories that were both hilarious and moving.

He was their brother, their protector, their teacher, their friend. That we did not know them and yet they came stirred me deeply. I could not get enough time with them. We had 20 or 30 minutes to share with them as a group and then we needed to go meet with our relatives.

I love my relatives, but I did not want to leave this new family. It was a very hard thing to do! I literally cannot explain this. I mean no disrespect to my Aunts, Uncles, or cousins, but this connection was from the Lord, and I longed for it.

Little has changed since then. This family continues to be such a deep source of inspiration to me. I have not forsaken my birth family, but I do gain new ones each time students comes saying, I need to GO!

Thus, I have students in my office who sit across from me, regularly. A couple of days ago, I found something left behind. It was on the floor between a chair and a small bookcase.

Immediately, I began to run through the list of recent occupants of that chair. I started with office staff, and then began to contact this extended family. What I had found was not lost by any of them. How could this be? It must belong to one of them?!

I just knew one of them was mistaken. How was it possible to lose something this valuable and not realize or recognize it from a description.

Much later, as I continued about my work, I happened to look over at them one more time. For some reason, this glance brought with it a flood of familiarity. Suddenly, I knew whose they were! I remembered who lost them!

None of the parade of possibilities had left them behind.

In fact, they were mine!

How did I miss it? How is it possible that a gift that was meaningful to me, went unmissed and unrecognized for so long? What occupies a mans mind or thoughts that he can spend valuable time and energy trying to reunite those who have not lost anything with something found?

Context can be everything.

I thought I knew where I had carefully placed these, previously. I was wrong. They were missing and I did not know it.

How thankful I am that I serve a God who does not carelessly lose things precious to Him. Greater still, that when something lost is found, He recognizes it immediately. His desire for us as family is personal. The longing within Him is for us to be united with Him in purpose and obedience. That we as His blood family, are drawn to Him, can respond to Him, and that when he calls us, we recognize what is lost, and surrender it to Him.

Each of us has blood family by birth, but we each also have blood family by re-birth. These relationships are a great gift. What was lost is found. I need to cultivate this gift.

dad


Tonight, I will be speaking to some inner-city students at Ranch Acres in Tulsa. Sunday night I will travel to Stillwater, Ok. and share at Oklahoma State University.
Please pray that the hearers will respond to whatever obedience the Lord is calling them to.