Written by Michelle J. Goff, Founder and Director of Iron Rose Sister Ministries
After nine long months of waiting, it was finally here! Not a baby, but what felt like “my baby” at the time. Late April 2014, after having filed all the paperwork for Iron Rose Sister Ministries to be registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the U.S., our letter of approval arrived, retroactive to our date of incorporation, July 26, 2013.
While most people don’t jump up and down when they receive a letter from the IRS, I did that day! Bounding inside from the mailbox, I couldn’t stop jumping up and down, squealing, unable to contain my excitement! But no one else was home. There was no one with whom to share my joy.
The two very large dogs that belonged to my sister and brother-in-law sensed the celebration and began jumping too, easily reaching my height. Thanking them for their exuberance, I clarified that the excitement was not really theirs to share. Retreating to a dog-free location, I debated who to call first who would share in my unbridled joy.
I did not want to celebrate alone. No one wants to celebrate alone. Those who have been with us in the struggle celebrate the most together in the victory.
We see this beautifully illustrated through three parables in Luke 15: The Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son (aka Prodigal Son).
The shepherd, after losing one of his hundred sheep, leaves the flock together and goes after the one that has strayed.
“And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep’” (Luke 15:5-6 NIV).
The same happens with the woman who lost one of her ten coins. “And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin’” (Luke 15:9).
Not coincidentally, both of those parables conclude with the direct interpretation of the parable: There is great rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents.
There is no more beautiful thing to celebrate together than a baptism, nothing more precious than someone who returns to God and His family after having strayed far from Him. Hallelujah! Amen!
I have tasted the joy and cried grateful tears at the return of a beloved child to her Father. Yet I have also been in the trenches of prayer through the watches of the night for those who have abandoned what they knew to chase other distractions, pursuits, or little “g” gods.
If you are the person who has strayed, please know that our Heavenly Father’s open arms are awaiting your return and that we will be there with Him and the angels, rejoicing! We can’t wait to celebrate your redemption together!
If you are the person who has someone close to you who has wandered from the Way, I grieve with you. It is a tremendous loss and sadness that no one wants to experience. However, I offer you the hope of the resurrection. While you grieve, maybe a child who has abandoned the teaching you know you provided, I want you to know that you are not alone. And please know that we Iron Rose Sisters are here to pray with you now and to celebrate together upon your child’s return. God loves him/her even more than you do, and He can’t wait to be the one to start the celebration!
“’Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate” (Luke 15:23b-24).