Today at work, one of the residents of the assisted living facility came up missing. Every door that leads to an outside exit has a code and if the door opens without the code being entered an alarm goes off. (Unfortunately, I set the alarm off for the PT gym daily) When the PTA I work with discovered that our patient was missing there was an even greater concern for his whereabouts because no alarms had been set off prior to his disappearance. The last person to see him within the facility was his CNA who laid out his clothing three and a half hours earlier. The panic had set in and every extra set of eyes was frantically looking for the occupant of room 102. The man who was at the center of our manhunt had a history of escape tactics before his recent decline which only added to the distress of every employee. After a 30 minute search of the building, we found him. He was taking a nap in another resident’s bed. When they woke him up, he responded by saying, “Just leave my lunch. I want to lie in bed a little longer. The sun feels good.” He had apparently traded in his private room (a rarity in this facility) equipped with a flat screen TV and a recliner for a cramped double occupancy room simply because he wanted to enjoy a nap in the sun. Not only did he have to give up the comfort of his mid-afternoon nap but his lunch didn’t come until after he completed an hour on physical and occupational therapy.
I haven’t wondered into a stranger’s room to take a nap (mostly because I am not fortunate enough to delight in an afternoon nap) but I have found myself lost at times. And when my faith and the reality of life are on opposite sides of the spectrum; I too want to feel the goodness of the Son. Just because Christ lives in my heart doesn’t mean I don’t struggle to find my way at times. It doesn’t mean that I am immune to pain, defeat, trials, or tragedy. But it does mean that His arms hold me together when everything falls apart. It does mean that He is the only cure for my heart. It does mean that my pain is only temporary. It does mean that I can never truly be lost because I belong to Jesus. Because I belong to Jesus, I don’t have to spend time searching for answers, opportunities, or happiness. I don’t have to add panic, fear, isolation, and worry to my life. I don’t have to be alone ever. I don’t have to do anything but enjoy the goodness of the Son. Do you belong to Jesus? When you feel lost, alone, scared, or defeated do you allow yourself to enjoy the presence of the son? Or do you spend your days wondering around pretending to be someone else to escape from the isolation of your life? Jesus doesn’t want us to feel alone ever. He wants us to trust Him. He wants us to accept His invitation to belong to Him. He wants us to give up our personal authority and live by His authority. His authority that will guide every aspect of our lives ensuring that we are never ever lost.
Every resident of the assisted living facility where I am doing my rotation has their name on all of the personal belongings in their possession. And every wheelchair has a label which says, “This wheelchair belongs to (the resident’s name).” Despite the staff’s best attempts to return items to the proper resident and prevent chaos; items still come up missing and on occasion someone takes an afternoon nap in the wrong bed. I don’t write my name on my underwear or my toothbrush but on my heart there is a label that says, “This soul belongs to Jesus.” And despite the fog of life that makes it hard to see and despite my desire to collapse (in the wrong beds); I will come alive and find my way through the name that is written on my heart.
Verse to remember: John 8:47 He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.
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