Losing something (or someone) can be the greatest challenge. Sometimes, you can restore and locate, other times, you have to learn to move on without that person. Even when it is a person, and they will never be there again, we seek to find something to fill the gaping hole left behind.
In the Parable of the Lost Sheep we here about the importance of finding that one. But it is not just any one – it is one that once was there and belonged and was loved. It has so many layers of meaning but today I reflect on the importance of the search.
We could bemoan the loss, and accurately state that they are lost or no longer there. This would be factual. It is not helpful though. We need to seek ways to stay connected to the memory in a healthy way. It has been nearly 13 years since I lost my mum and I miss her every single day. I bet there are so many who can relate to that feeling! But it is only with time that I have sought to keep her spirit connected with my evolving life instead of bemoaning her absence, and this affords me the luxury of bringing her memory with me into the now. The love she gave me is with me yet because love is not bound in our mortal bodies. We need to remember that love belongs in the spiritual realm and does not die. Love does last forever if we let it.
So I ask, how do you seek the one you have lost?
The Female Theologian 