3 Truths Learned from Lost Gloves

Stories of Hope in Hard Times

We all get lost sometimes, the question is: are we worth finding? I share what I learned losing a pair of gloves.

Story Summary

Today I share the story of losing a very needed and appreciated pair of gloves at hardware store. I was devastated and enlisted the help of store associates to help me find the gloves. I searched all over for about 10 minutes.

3 Truths About Lost Souls

At the time of the lost gloves, I was preparing to teach a Sunday School lesson on Luke 15 which includes the parable of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin and the Prodigal son.

As I walked out to my car that day a distinct impression came into my head: “You just spent 10 minutes looking for a $15 pair of gloves. Will you spend 10 minutes helping my lost sheep?”

1. We Each Have Tremendous Worth!

• We are worth more than gloves or sheep! We are worth loving and searching for.
• Isaiah 53:6, “All we like sheep have gone astray.”

Religious leader M. Russell Ballard said, “Every soul is very precious to our Heavenly Father. We must never forget that through the atonement, the Lord Jesus Christ paid a great price for the redemption of each one of us. His suffering must not be in vain.”

2. God loves us Perfectly!

• I believe the parable of the prodigal son teaches us so much about God’s infinite love and mercy. We learn from this parable that:
• God doesn’t want to control us or keep us from making foolish mistakes. He loves us and our agency, and so He watches.
• When we take the slightest turn to come back, he runs to us!

Religious leader Jeffrey R. Holland said, “The tender image of this boy’s anxious, faithful father running to meet him and showing him with kisses is one of the most moving and compassionate scenes in all holy writ. It tells every child of God, wayward or otherwise, how much God wants us back in the protection of His arms.”

3. We Can All Rejoice Together!

• At the end of each parable, there is a great rejoicing which takes place—a celebration.

Going back to my story of the lost glove. After searching with the store associates for 10 minutes, we found the gloves. I was so happy!

Conclusion of Story

It was on the way out to the car (with my gloves on my hand) that God began teaching me those 3 critical lessons:

1. We each have tremendous worth—more that gloves, sheep, or coins. We are each worth looking for and finding.

2. Now, I loved my gloves because they kept my hands warm in the cold. But God loves each of us perfectly and wants us to come home. He loves us when we are lost, and He loves us when we are found.

3. And when we find lost gloves, sheep, coins or prodigals, We can all Rejoice Together! Any time a soul repents, it is worth celebrating. I celebrated with the store associates when my gloves were found—and they were only worth $15. The worth of souls is worth celebrating eternally.

Invitation

My invitation to you today is to spend 10 minutes loving someone who needs a little love. Maybe that someone is you. Maybe that someone is a friend or a family member. God will inspire you to know who needs a little love. You can do this through a text, a phone call or maybe by dropping cookies on their doorstep.

Promise

I promise that whoever is lost is loved and noticed by God. And in His own time and way, not only will gloves, sheep and coins be found, but so will souls be wrapped in His eternal embrace.

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You can find the full transcription of today's episode on my website: https://tamarakanderson.com/podcasts/3-truths-learned-from-lost-gloves