Lost & Found

"All who wander are not lost." - Tolkien

I can’t remember ever being lost, geographically speaking.  It’s not that I have a great sense of direction, because trust me, I don’t.  If you ask me to point the way...well, pretty much anywhere...your chances of arriving at your destination will be iffy, at best.  

And I know I’ve been in the wrong place at the wrong time on many occasions, not to mention the wrong place at the right time  But genuinely, “Don’t know where I am or how I got here” lost?  Not ringing a bell.

Now, there have been many times when I’ve marched to the beat of a different drummer and ended up in trouble as a result… Take the time I took my three-year-old sister, Ellen, for a walk around downtown Bethesda, Maryland. My Mom, Dad, Ellen, and I, plus my Granna and Granddaddy, were visiting my Uncle Flinn and Aunt Courtney, who lived in Bethesda at the time. And I guess I got bored, because I decided it would be a fine idea to take Ellen on an adventure.  (Poor Ellen is 7 years younger than I, and when we were growing up that usually made her an easy target accomplice, willing or not.)

But this particularly day my intentions really were honorable when I said, “Granddaddy, I’m taking Ellen for a walk, ok?” He gave me his sweet smile and his blessing (or so I thought) and said, “Ok.”

So off we went. I can’t tell you how many city blocks we covered, but I guess we were gone a long time in “grown-up minutes” because when we got back to the house, everyone was very excited—yes, that’s the word—EXCITED to see us.

It turned out Granddaddy forgot I told him what we were up to or, more likely, just plain didn’t hear me.  Either way, I was in big trouble. See how happy everyone (ok, just Ellen) looks in this picture, taken after our homecoming?  Recognize the look on my face, front right?? But my point is that I was never lost. I knew exactly what I was doing (if not where we were going), I had an alibi (albeit one with poor hearing), and I held her hand the whole way (which should have counted for something). 

Then there are other, less dramatic trips, when I start out knowing where I’m going and stay the course the whole way, only to arrive without a clue as to how I got there.  Ever get in your car to go to work (before that second cup of coffee) and when you get there you only have a vague recollection of driving the last couple of miles? Or worse, you can’t remember whether the light was really green at the last intersection? (Disclaimer: If you’re my friend Trooper Claude, I’m not sayin’ this has ever happened to me…ever hear of “literary license?”) Anyway, it’s not a good thing, being lost in thought while you’re driving. But it’s not the same as being lost.

Now I have a GPS and the chances of my getting lost are even less. If I even think about wandering off course, I get the “RECALCULATING” message, obviously recorded with a big sigh and a disgusted eye roll.  In fact, with the exception of the time I was in downtown Pittsburg, driving in circles around super tall buildings, my GPS hasn’t let me down.  And the best part? I don’t have to fold it like a map!

Did I mention I love my GPS? It’s true, but as much as I love my Garmin, I love my internal GPS – God Positioning System, a.k.a. the Holy Spirit – even more because it’s never let me down. Oh, I may have turned down the volume on occasion, or let my battery run down, but those are user errors. If I’ll stay tuned into His voice and focus, listening to the exclusion of all of the distractions around me, I’ll always be heading in the right direction.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." (Isaiah 30:21 NIV)

And on top of that, I have my map – His word…

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105)

…and my personal navigator – Jesus Christ.

 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. (Luke 19:10)
The truth is, I HAVE been lost, spiritually speaking….but I’m not anymore, and for that I’m eternally grateful.

Note:  This post is in memory of my Dad, my Granddaddy Settle, and my Uncle Flinn...I miss them all so very much.

Auld Lang Syne

"Auld Lang Syne" means "times gone by," perfect for this old photo I dug up on the Found website. I know I'm a few days late, but it was just too good to pass up. It was the "Find of the Day" on December 26th, 2004. Apparently, "Allyson" found it while cleaning underneath the bench seat of a Volkswagen Vanagon her dad had recently purchased.

Hope your New Year has been picture perfect so far.

Making Lists

I am a list maker. Makes no difference what needs listing – groceries, gifts, things to do – I’m an equal opportunity lister. I think making lists makes me feel like I’m in control. And I know I get it honestly, because my mother keeps a list of things to tell me by her phone, waiting for my next call.

There’s not much gray area when it comes to listing things; you’re either a list maker or you’re not. But lately everyone seems to at least be interested in lists, even ones that don’t belong to them. One of the most interesting websites I’ve seen in a long time is FOUND, self-described as follows:

“We collect FOUND stuff: love letters, birthday cards, kids' homework, to-do lists, ticket stubs, poetry on napkins, telephone bills, doodles - anything that gives a glimpse into someone else’s life. Anything goes...”

FOUND is one of those sites where I could easily waste an hour or more just drifting through other people’s stuff, sort of like other people do at yard sales. I always check the “Find of the Day.” It’s fascinating, but I can’t really say why. The other day I even caught myself wondering if people ever make things up to send in. You know … they write a love letter, “spill” some tea on it, crumple it up a bit, and send it in with a great story about how they found it.

And FOUND isn’t new, so there’s much more than just the website. There are magazines, tee shirts, and “events.” Hannah even told me she discovered a whole book of FOUND grocery lists that she wants for Christmas.

Another interesting book I heard about recently also dealt with one man’s attempt to live his life according to lists. The Today Show billed, “The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible,” by A.J. Jacobs, as, “52 weeks, 10 commandments, 1 extreme makeover.” Jacobs, who says he’s Jewish in the way the Olive Garden is Italian, changed his routine, diet, and even appearance in an attempt to “live Biblically” for a year. (I never would have thought “living Biblically” meant all that, personally.) Describing himself as a “reverent agnostic,” he admitted that he never could fulfill the law, not even for one day. He was truly astounded by how much and how often he sins – coveting, gossiping, and lying, just to name a few.


The Today Show piece was tongue-in-cheek, and clearly Jacobs was trying to sell books, but he insisted his quest was in earnest. He also said keeping the Sabbath enhanced his life, and that he’s much more thankful now. As a Christian, none of what he said really surprised me, but some of his revelations were encouraging.

Aside from the control issue I have with lists, I have also put myself “under law” with lists. I’ll tell myself, “Ok. If I accomplish 1, 2, and 3 on my list, then I will allow myself to ______.” Or I may rationalize, “Things will be different if I can just manage A, B, and C.”

But here’s a truth straight from the Bible:

“… if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
~ John 8:36 (NIV)

I am FREE. How can I forget that and put myself back under law so easily? It seems unimaginable because my freedom is such a treasured gift. But it happens all the same, and even worse, when I do that I not only offend the one who freed me, but I belittle His sacrifice to do so. As much as it grieves me to admit that, how much more must it grieve Him?

So what can I do but try to stick to grocery lists, to-do lists, and my Christmas list from now on. And the next time I catch myself struggling to fulfill my own list of “laws” in order to be “good enough,” I’m going to tear that list up (no, I’m not sending it to FOUND) and I might just work on a list of blessings, instead.