In Matthew 18: 10-14, Jesus tells the crowd that the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. He continues to explain that if a man has one hundred sheep, and one of them went astray, that he would leave the ninety-nine and go to find the one.

When he finds the one that went astray, he rejoices more of that sheep than of the ninety-nine that did not go astray.

It is NOT the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

In Luke 15: 4-7, He speaks of the joy in finding the sheep. “When he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, rejoiceth with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety-nine just persons, which need no repentance.”

I love this so much! Joy shall be in heaven. I can imagine the angels and all of our ancestors that came before us and those that have not yet come down to earth for their turn, all celebrating each time that one of us is “found”.

How does this apply to me? I myself am not the shepherd, so I alone cannot bring the lost sheep back. However, I know that my interest, my concern, my love and my service to them is all that the Lord asks of me. If I can do more, then He will help me to know what is required.

There are missionaries that go out and teach the gospel. They are searching for the one.

There are people that serve in my church in leadership positions. They are serving the ninety-nine, but they are also praying for inspiration on how to help the one.

I have been praying in the last several months for God to let me know who I should reach out to, who needs help. I have asked to know when and how to act. It has been the most amazing experience.

I have had names come to me, sometimes in the middle of the night. Sometimes, several names come during the busyness of the day. Sometimes just one names comes over and over.

There have been a few names that have been easy to act on immediately. There have been names that have been a little harder to act on. There have been names where I had to spend a lot more time in conversation with Heavenly Father about. I either had to humble myself, or I had to inquire more about how to go about reaching out to this person. I would share with Him my hesitations. He would listen and He would give me peace or more inspiration on how would be best to continue.

All of these experiences have been very rewarding, they have become sacred to me. I have been able to create or strengthen relationships that I will cherish. And always, every single time, I have felt the approval of my Heavenly parents as I have acted on the inspiration that I received.

When I follow through on these gentle nudges, I have felt the most joy and love from Heaven. This joy continues as my friends, new and old, reach out to me and share their life successes and joy with me.

I have come to consider them in a more sacred way as my heavenly brothers and sisters. It helps me to love them in a completely different way, a holier way. I am so grateful for this opportunity to see this life in a much more peaceful light.

The world around us is full of uncertainty. My anxiety was greatest when I was only looking at things with earthly vision. But now, as I am constantly looking at the world with a more celestial vision, it is not as stressful for me.

I am looking for the joy in the circumstances more frequently than ever before, and I am able to find it every time.

I am still tired from the busy of life, but I go to sleep feeling fulfilled. I invite you to start looking for the joy in the circumstances. It will be difficult at first if you are not used to this. Over time, as you work diligently to do this, you will find the joy in the circumstance isn’t always hard to discover.

Remember, it is not the will of the Father that one of these should perish.

It is not God’s will that you would struggle in this life without Him. God is there. He is in relentless pursuit of you. However, He will not make you choose Him. You have to accept His help. He is there, with His hand outstretched and ready to hoist you up on his shoulders where you can find rest from the burdens of this life.