This past April, my daughter Analiese misplaced her winter coat, and I spent several frustrating days looking for it.
Of course, the coat’s disappearance wasn’t noticed by me right away. I washed her coat in an attempt to put it away, but then the weather changed and the kids needed to wear their winter gear to school again. So, the coat was hauled out one more time. The next time it was needed, it was nowhere to be found.

This turned into a very frustrating event in my life. The coat’s disappearance was noticed on a Monday, but we had been to several places over the weekend. I tried not to panic, but this was a nice Columbia coat, and it was still in good shape. I knew her sister could wear it, too. I also had bought the coat at an awesome sale and only spent $12. I knew I would never find another Columbia for that price, and the stores were now filled with summer clothes anyway.

My first stop was church. I had gone to my home church with two of the kids, while my husband, Terry, took the other two to our church in Sioux Falls, S.D. Terry didn’t think she wore the coat to church, but he couldn’t remember for sure.
I drove across town to look for the coat but was unable to find it. We then thought maybe she wore the coat to a supper that was held at another church in town. I called the church and asked if I could check their lost and found. No purple Columbia coat was there. I called the hostess of the event to see if she recalled seeing the coat or had picked it up. Another dead end.
I didn’t think the coat was at her school, but since I was digging through lost and found bins, why stop now? Again, no luck in finding the coat. Even Grandma and Grandpa Bauder checked their car just in case it got put into the back. But, once again, no coat. I knew it wasn’t Analiese’s fault it was missing, but I was getting a little cranky about this coat.

After a frustrating week of searching every lost and found I could think of, as well as searching every logical place in our house for the coat, I resigned myself to the fact that it was gone.

Then one evening I was cleaning the girls’ bedroom. I checked the closet and under the bed one more time in an attempt to find the coat. But, just like the kids told me, it wasn’t to be found. I went to put something away in a cabinet … and there it was. The purple Columbia coat was found! I was so excited, I showed Analiese, and then I called Terry to tell him, too. I was so thrilled I told all of my friends that knew of the missing coat. This was great.

God used the purple coat to remind me of the joy He has when someone who is lost finds their way to Him. Jesus tells the Parable of the Lost Sheep in Matthew 18:12-13. He said, “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.”
The concept of God celebrating each one of us is mentioned in another parable. Luke 15:8-10 says: “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 neighbors 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.”
Each time a sinner turns to God, there is a celebration in Heaven. And to think I was excited over finding a purple coat.
Dear Heavenly Father: Thank You for another reminder of Your love for each one of us. I am celebrated by You and the angels. That is a wonderful thought. Please help me to reach out to those who do not know You so that Heaven can have many more celebrations! In Jesus’ name, Amen.