Lost and Found

Not having anything inspirational to write about tonight and waiting for my daughters to return from their cross country meet, I have decided to list all of the things of value that my children have lost in the 19 years that I have been a mother. Here they are:

• 1 pair of winter boots (during the winter when the unnamed wore them daily)
• 1 winter coat (lost during a different winter than the above)
• 1 beanie baby elephant named "Beanie" (clever, huh?) with a blue body and orange feet
• 1 multicolored beanie baby bear named "Spumoni" and its multicolored baby bear
• 1 shoe of one pair of tiny Adidas soccer cleats
• 1 pair of heavy duty scissors--to be used only for sewing. Hmmm...has someone been sewing elsewhere?
• 1 doctor prescribed and doctor-priced orthotic insert out of one shoe--the unnamed claimed the neighbor's dog ate said item
• 1 leather wallet containing ID and money
• 1 learner's permit (kind of like a pre-license) in a pair of shorts returned to Target
• 1 very nice watch
• numerous cheap running watches
• 1 pair of black Nike boy's shorts
• 1 pair of black Nike girl's shorts
• 1 black backpack containing silver size 13 track spikes and black track pants
• 1 pair of Cutters leather football lineman gloves--less than one week after they were received as a birthday gift
• 1 pair size 12 women's New Balance running shoes--lost during cross country season when the unnamed was wearing them daily
• numerous pieces of silverware taken to school in lunch boxes, then most likely tossed in the trash
• 2 red Nalgene water bottles
• 1 CD of a 4 disk set of an "Adventures in Odyssey" radio drama borrowed from the library
• 1 black boring lunch box
• 1 cute flower-shaped lunch box
• 1 Ames Track and Field sweatshirt with 'Haverkamp' embroidered on the hood--this was returned too the unnamed two years after its loss
• 1 pair of cool, mom-purchased sunglasses used for hurdling purposes
• 1 necessary scientific calculator purchased as a bargain on ebay for $60.00
• 1 girl's little leather Bible with a pink butterfly on the cover
• 1 girl's little leather Bible with a red ladybug on the cover
• so many socks
• so many mittens
• 1 new leather baseball glove
• one of Mom's running gloves
• lots of Mom's patience

Ok, there. I got it all off my chest. And you know what, though I'm all for respecting property and taking care of your stuff--especially the stuff that your parents bought you with their money...I know that none of these things really matter in the long run. My kids understand that I don't like it when they lose things, but I hope they also understand that the things I value most aren't things at all. I hope they know that my Treasure is in Heaven, and the things of this earth are like trash in comparison to the Glory of that place. And guess what? In Heaven, nothing will be lost--including ourselves. We will be found in Christ. Can you say "Amen"?

" What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ."

Philippians 3:8