Some rowdy unwashed children tumbled around at the feet of Jesus as he gently moved through a crowd of townsfolk, scribes and Pharisees. Reaching the edge of a great field, Jesus unfolded his cloak, sat down and called a child over to sit with him. Then he told a story. “A faithful shepherd is watching his flock of sheep. He has a hundred sheep to care for and protect. But one day, the shepherd looks around and, after the count, discovers one is missing. Leaving the ninety-nine on the hills, he ventures deep into the wild, searching for the one that was lost. He searches for hours and finally finds the sheep, stuck fast in a briar bush. The shepherd is filled with joy. Freeing the lost sheep and throwing her over his shoulders, he rushes back home, rejoicing all the way! In fact, he calls his family and friends together; crying out, ‘My lost sheep—I have found her! Celebrate with me!’” The tax collectors, the teachers of the law, the disciples, and the people looked around at one another. Lifting a child on his shoulders, Jesus said, “I tell you, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over a single lost soul that has been found than over the ninety-nine in no need of rescue. And so it is the will of the Father that none of his children should ever be lost.” ~summary of parable found in Luke 15:1-7, Matthew 18:10-14 {from John Hendrick’s Go and Do Likewise Parables and Wisdom of Jesus}
FOMO as the teens say, fear of missing out, is a reality for them amplified by the ever-present social party going on in the palm of their hands. FOMO is a reality for adults as well. Not being invited or included hurts. We want to belong, to be wanted, to be chosen. We don’t want to be lost. This feeling is so intense and universal it must be in our DNA.
But if the source of belonging is with humans, we’re bound to feel unwanted. Even those that love us most, will at times mess up and make us feel like we don’t belong, we’re not wanted, we’re not chosen. Sowing for belonging in this world is vanity, like striving after or sowing the wind. We’ll end up empty-handed and lost.
Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind. ~Hosea 8:7
Sow righteousness, reap steadfast love. ~Hosea 10:12
Sowing righteousness by following the Good Shepherd will bring steady, dependable love. Lean into God, His Word, His Kingdom ways, His plans, and declarations over life. Trust that when all seems lost, He will search out and seek each and every one of his numbered, valued, and uniquely-created sheep.
We, like those early disciples of Jesus hearing him teach on the importance of all the unique people God created, struggle to be known and appreciated. We think we should be given a seat of importance. Our pride says one of us is more important and doesn’t need the other, but that’s not what God says. We need one another, are called to serve and to love—even those that are difficult to love, those with low or no status, no accomplishments, and those we overlook. That’s when we find true belonging in God’s uniquely designed flock. We are found by abiding in God, being who we were created to be, and by lovingly serving others.
For thine is the kingdom
His is the table where all are welcome, seen, appreciated... and where there is no FOMO.
Lord, may we find true joy in serving today and in the days and years of our lives to come. May we appreciate the uniqueness of others–the creative eyes, the compassionate hands, the listening ears, the critical minds, the servants feet, the praying hearts. Thank you for the team you’ve brought together and for reminding us that You are the joy in and through it all.
Amen.
Pictured above is Lucy. A friend we met while on a trip to the Dominican Republic in August 2024 while our team was doing watercolor art with children outside BHP mobile medical clinic. Lucy is deaf. She helped us understand the reality of feeling left out and not being understood. She flourished painting and looking through the pages of the parable of the lost sheep.