The missing key....

"But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you. Psalm 29:7

Last Sunday, my wife sang in all 3 services with her choir to honor  Pastor Jeff's send-off to his new church, Cedar Heights Baptist in Iowa. Pastor Jeff was our Worship leader for the past16 years. His leadership has been a blessing to hurting people in search of the Savior. When he first came, our children were in early elementary school so it was with some sadness we all said good-bye.We were sad, but happy to see another church experience Pastor Jeff's ministry!

Linda and I drove separately because she needed to be there earlier than I. When I finally arrived, I parked in the back row before heading into the Worship service. 

Everything went smoothly until I got back to my car and discovered the key I thought I had in my pocket was missing. As my wife and son will testify, for they have witnessed this through the years, I panicked while searching through all the pockets of my bomber jacket for that missing key.

So I ran back inside in hopes of backtracking my steps hoping to find the missing keys. I checked the upstairs lost and found where I saw 15 other keys in the box, mine was not there. Sure, I could have taken those 15 keys in hopes one by some sort of miracle would start my engine, but the odds were against that happening.

Since my van wasn't going anywhere, my wife drove me to the Indian restaurant where we caught up with our Life group. We were late, of course. We had an abbreviated group meeting before everyone headed back to church for Pastor Jeff's farewell reception.

After arriving back at Church, I decided to put my detective cap on and continue my singular quest of finding the missing keys. I walked upstairs, then downstairs to no avail. I decided to walk toward the van, this time trying all the doors in case one of them was unlocked. 

Just like Monty Hall's 'Let's make a deal' the final door was unlocked. I got in and no key was found. 

Like Sherlock Holmes, I surmised the key had to be inside the building.

I walked back inside and saw my friend Joe waiting for his family to come out from Pastor Jeff's reception. So I asked him, "Joe, do you know if the church has a downstairs lost and found?" Joe pointed to the black cabinet just around the corner under the stairwell. I walked over and opened the door and lo and behold my key was there sitting on the shelve, at eye level looking directly at me, as though it were mocking me.

In this instance, I was reminded how important it is to have the right key.

 Many of us are looking in the wrong places for peace and tranquility. We want God to shower us with gifts, but we're quick to anger when hard times come our way to reject God.

I am reminded of those words in John 14:6- Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 

While to some, this may seem harsh and judgemental, God wanted to remind us that he was saving us the agony of heading down the wrong pathway- as though Jesus was using the flashlight to show us the right path.

While there may be many keys that help us to be happy in our lives, God reminds us that his son Jesus is the only key that unlocks the treasures of heaven. I'm reminded of another verse in Matthew 'Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.' In reality, there really is no better comforter than our Savior, Jesus, becoming the good shepherd to guide us through the valleys of our lives.

The key I found started my car just as my Lord Jesus helps me to plug into the Holy Spirit within me to guide me through good and hard times of this life.