Today I give you a devotional writing from the pen of my good friend Cindi. As you can tell, she’s quite a deep thinker and a great writer. Enjoy these thoughts from a fellow sojourner along the Way.

Luke 15

Have you ever lost an item around the house and spent a lot of time searching for it? I am notorious for losing my car keys at least three times a week. What’s really embarrassing to admit is they are usually right in front of me or at least located in a very obvious place. Yesterday morning I was almost late to church because I couldn’t find my car keys. I immediately went into a panic searching all over my apartment for them because I hate being late to church. Besides, at Mayfair if you’re not there at least ten minutes before worship starts, you don’t get YOUR parking place or YOUR seat. Thankfully, my keys appeared before my eyes…on the dining room table right where I tossed them when I got in from work Saturday night.

Saturday morning I met Mom and Dad for breakfast at Gibson’s (best biscuits in town, other than my Mom’s) and I arrived early to get us a table. Mom came in as Dad parked the car. A few minutes later Dad walked through the entrance and looked over the restaurant to see where we were sitting. He had the funniest look on his face as his eyes scanned all over the room and finally Mom waved her hand and we were right under his nose.

Sometimes we make things so difficult but in reality, they’re not that difficult. We search for fulfillment in our lives and we search for happiness and we search for peace and we extend that search for many years. The pain and the cost of our search is more extensive than words can describe. We expect that search to be so extensive and involved when actually, it’s right under our nose. Some of us have worn ourselves out searching for whatever it is that will fill the emptiness in our lives. How ridiculous would it have been for me to continue to search for my keys after I found them? I mean, that’s down right stupid.

Yet, some of us are so consumed with the search itself and consumed with the desire of finding something better that we keep digging and we keep grasping and we keep reaching for more, when all we need is right there in our hands. Why? Why do we put ourselves through that?

Years ago I had a friend tell me that the reason she drank so much alcohol in college was because she was so empty inside. I asked her if the alcohol ever filled the void and of course, the answer was no. Satan has deceived a countless number of people and made them believe that those pills will eventually make them feel good all the time. Maybe it’s a relationship that they have no business being in but yet they’ve bought the lie and are convinced true happiness and true fulfillment is found in that person. Then there’s the person who says, “Just a little more money…yeah, everything would be perfect if I had more money.” When does it ever become enough?

Eventually this search wears you down and you become emotionally, physically and yes, spiritually exhausted. People who are young look much older than their true age because the search has worn them down.

Jesus said, “Come to me and I’ll give you REST.” Matthew 11:28-30. The fulfillment, completeness and yes, the peace that we all so desparately want is found in Christ. Not in a bottle; not in a needle; not in a pill; not even in a person.

Some of us have sat on a church pew since we were riding a stick horse but yet we keep searching for what’s right there in our hands. Jesus did the searching for us. Let yourself be found in Him.

Cindi A. Bradley