My Dad had a Cine Projector. It really reminds me of him and is precious to me now that he’s no longer with us.
A work colleague asked to borrow it, so he could transfer some old cine films to DVD. I was a bit hesitant, not because I didn’t think it would be looked after, but because it was one of my Dad’s things and is precious to me.
So I lent him the projector and he transferred his cine films. His mother-in-law said she thought her late husband had a cine film in a tin, but she had no idea what was on it.
So my colleague ran it through the projector and discovered that it was film of her wedding, that she had never seen, from nearly fifty years ago.
Me letting go of something precious to me allowed the discovery of something precious to someone else.
Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Luke 15:3-10, NIV