Lost and Found

She couldn't believe she'd lost her purse!

She circled through the huge department store, staggering to a confused halt in front of Mens' Wear. How often had she passed that same Tommy Hilfiger shirt? She couldn't guess. But it was frustratingly familiar. Which meant that she'd combed the entire store at least several times in the past forty-five minutes since first discovering her purse was gone.

The only thing that gave her hope it wasn't stolen was that the store was virtually vacant midweek this early in the year. It was too late to catch any year's end inventory sales, and too soon for most people's bank accounts to fatten up after the holidays. She hadn't encountered anyone except a couple of bored clerks since arriving a couple hours ago to shop for a new outfit.

But, stolen or not, the disheartening fact was--despite her desperate search--the purse and everything in it was not to be found.

Her thoughts shuffled through the missing purse's contents. She'd have to call up her cell phone company to cancel her account. Her prescription eyeglasses could be replaced in about an hour--minus the Sophia Loren frames she loved--for a couple hundred dollars. She didn't even want to think about untangling her credit and debit card accounts, not to mention replacing her driver's license and other ID.

Footsteps tapped in a trotting pace up the beige tile aisle. She turned to find a young female clerk huffing and out of breath.

"Excuse me, ma'am. Is this the purse you reported missing?"

Recognizing the worn fawn-colored leather, she sagged in relief. "Where did you find it?"

"In the ladies' dressing room, about half an hour ago. I've been trying to find you ever since. But, you never stayed anywhere long enough for me to catch up with you."

Be still, and know that I am God, Psalm 46:11 (KJV) says. God is everything that we could ever possibly need Him to be. He is whatever we need Him to be right now. He is our health. He is our prosperity. He is our peace and direction.

To know Him as any of those things, we must be still. It's when we are still that we can hear His voice, find His direction, and locate the path of productive action that keeps faith alive instead of futility and fear. Sometimes that means--at least temporarily--divorcing ourselves from a frantic schedule and becoming still physically. Sometimes that means lowering the curtain on a hyper thought life and becoming still mentally. It means ceasing striving on our own for the solutions to our problems.

We'll never find the answers in our own effort or apart from God, because we can never be our own "I AM." We can never be all things to ourselves, as He is.

When life seems less than complete, when something goes missing, or you're in lack, or your heart is broken, be still. Resist fear's poking you in the spine to impulsively take action based on your own limited resources and knowledge. Let the "I AM" God overtake you with His love and blessings.