Wow, have I felt lost a few times over the preceding weeks.  So lost, that even trying to write a meaningful blog post was hard.  So, I chose to write nothing….or I just could not find meaning in it all.  But God kept working on me, holding me up, pushing me a little, and hanging around until I figured out that I was not lost at all.

Lost is an interesting word.  Something that is lost is not necessarily gone.  Instead, it is misplaced, out of sight, not in our presence, in unfamiliar territory…..lost.  Doing something new, taking on a new responsibility, moving through changes in life, leaving the familiar behind for better options, solving problems, coming to new realizations… all these can make us feel lost.  But change and renewal and loss are all part of God’s plan.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.’”   For me this is the promise that God is in control of those moments when I feel lost….out of control….alone…weary.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  (Matthew 11:28-29)  Sometimes we are just really tired….and not lost at all.  Or we were seeking our own way instead of God’s.  And when we have been lost and find our way back, God rejoices.  I am so thankful for the lessons God teaches me.  I am learning to see the beauty of adversity.  I pray I can become quicker at turning to God and accepting his will.