Love Day #15: The Calculus of One
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?” — Luke 15:4 (NIV)
THE JOURNEY
We had a Golden Retriever named Barnaby. He was not a smart dog, but he was enthusiastic. One Saturday, I left the back gate unlatched for just a second while taking out the trash.
Barnaby saw a squirrel. In a flash of golden fur, he bolted.
I whistled. I called. But the thrill of the chase was too strong. He vanished into the woods behind our subdivision.
I spent the next hour walking the perimeter, annoyed. Stupid dog, I thought. He has food here. He has a warm bed. Why would he leave?
But as the sun went down and the temperature dropped to freezing, my annoyance turned to panic. Barnaby had no survival skills. There were coyotes in those woods.
I didn’t say, “Well, I have two cats at home. That’s a majority. I guess Barnaby made his choice.”
No. I put on my heavy coat. I grabbed a high-powered flashlight. I walked into the dark, bramble-filled woods. I tore my jeans on thorns. I stepped in mud up to my ankles. I shouted his name until my voice was raw.
Three hours later, I found him. He was tangled in a mess of briars, shivering, huddled against a fallen log.
When he saw the beam of my flashlight, he didn’t wag his tail. He cowered. He whimpered. He expected the rolled-up newspaper. He knew he had been bad.
I didn’t hit him. I didn’t lecture him. I fell to my knees in the mud. I untangled the thorns from his ears. I wrapped my coat around him. And because he was too weak and scared to walk, I picked up all seventy pounds of him and carried him home.
I loved him. Not because he was a “good dog” in that moment—he was a bad dog. I loved him because he was my dog.
Heart of the Matter
We often view God’s love as a reward for staying in the pen. We think, “If I stay close, He loves me. If I wander, He leaves me to my consequences.”
But Jesus tells a story about a Shepherd who is bad at math. He leaves ninety-nine safe sheep to find one idiot sheep who wandered off.
This is the fierce, illogical nature of God’s love. He is not just a King who sits on a throne waiting for tribute; He is a Shepherd who puts on His boots and goes into the dark.
Here is the dynamic: You love God by admitting you are lost. You stop running. You stop hiding in the briars of your shame or your rebellion. You whimper. He loves you back by coming to get you. He doesn’t just point the way home; He carries you home. He takes the thorns that were meant for you—literally—and places you on His shoulders rejoicing.
If you feel far from God today, do not try to “fix” yourself before you come back. You can’t. Just bleat. He is already in the woods looking for you.
Faith in Action
If you have wandered in your heart—through distraction, sin, or apathy—today is the day you get found.
The Challenge: Visualize yourself in those woods. It’s dark. You are stuck. Instead of trying to “hike out” on your own strength, simply sit down. Say out loud: “Shepherd, I am here. I am stuck. I cannot get back on my own. Come find me.” Then, visualize the beam of a flashlight cutting through the trees. Feel the relief of being found, not scolded.
Prayer for the Day
Good Shepherd, I confess that I am prone to wander. I chase things that promise happiness but lead me into thorns. Thank You that You do not write me off when I get lost. Thank You that You leave the ninety-nine to hunt for me. I stop running today. I let myself be found. Pick me up, Lord. Carry me back to the safety of Your presence. I am tired of the cold. I am Yours. Amen.
LOVE Note
“The only safe place for a sheep is on the shoulders of the Shepherd.” — Unknown