Lost And Found

Lost And Found

Thursday 12^th March rained cats and dogs. If this wasn’t bad enough, our dog Rascal, a cold-loving Husky, slipped out of the gate and had a splashing time. He had done this before and had either found his way back or was escorted back by one of us who went after his heels.

But no one was free to chase after him this time, and hours later after the rain had stopped, he was nowhere to be found.

When my sons and I returned from work, we searched the neighbourhood. It was to no avail. There was no sight or sound of him.

Many thoughts came. Perhaps someone had taken him in and sheltered him from the rain. If so, they would return him once the rain had stopped.

Perhaps his sense of smell was affected by the rain and he couldn’t trace his steps back. I had always wondered about his eyesight too for he couldn’t see that well now that he is eight years old.

We decided to give SPCA a call on Saturday to report that our husky had gone missing. No one manned the phone as it was a weekend.

On Sunday, I decided to go walking around the neighbourhood and went as far as a mile’s radius to see whether Rascal could have really lost his bearings and was waiting somewhere for rescue. After an hour’s search, I called the search off. But what had made me mount another search?

It was the Biblical parable of the shepherd and the lost sheep. The shepherd left the ninety-nine sheep somewhere safe and went searching for the lost sheep. He was delighted and carried the sheep back and even threw a party for the neighbours, for he who was lost has been found.

The parable of the prodigal son or more correctly the loving father, was even more dramatic. The sheep could not be really blamed for losing his way, but the wayward son had asked for his share of the father’s estate even before the father’s death, and had squandered it in riotous living. It was only when he had come to his senses that he decided to return home and admitted he had sinned against his father and was not deserving to be accepted as a son, but could he be a servant?

The beauty and glory of the story was in the way the father greeted the return of his son “who once was lost but now is found”.

For the complete story, see Luke 15.

In light of these two parables, I prayed for my dog to be found and brought back. If not, may he find a dog lover who would take good care of him.

Wonder of wonders, after five long days when there was a strange quiet in our home, we received the good news – a man had brought him to SPCA on Tuesday morning. It wasn’t a chore at all to pick him and drive him back.

Not every story of a pet or a person lost ends with good news. But in a marvelous way, I am reminded of the greatest rescue mission which God launched to rescue lost mankind who like sheep had gone astray.

The father in the parable stands for God the Father and the prodigal son represents those who had chosen to go away from the Father, but who fortunately realized their mistake before it was too late.

There is always forgiveness for the son who returns. The tragedy in the parable was the elder brother who was not forgiving and begrudged the father celebrating the younger son’s return. He had not experienced grace and love. Otherwise, he would have been able to “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep”.

What is a story of a pet who was lost and was found doing in this business blog?

Many have lost a fortune or much of their life’s savings in the current economic crisis. Hopefully, there will be a way to recoup the losses. For those who will not be able to recover their losses, the way forward is to come to their senses and learn from their mistakes.

Good advice is important in matters which we don’t understand well. We take pains to select good doctors, good educators, good contractors etc.

We must take pains to get good advice on matters like financial planning and investments. And we must find caring planners and advisers who will feel for you when you lose – advisers who will search for ways to help you find that which was lost. Advisers with a heart who will always take care of your interest and will not find rest until you do well and are safe, and your investments are safe. Advisers who watch the investment landscape and horizon for you and who watch your back also. Advisers with the shepherd’s heart, not the thief or the robber who come to prosper themselves on your account.