Lost

Lost in the night do the people yet languish, longing for morning the darkness to vanquish, plaintively sighing with hearts full of anguish.  Will not day come soon?  Will not day come soon? 

Must we be vainly awaiting the morrow?  Shall those who have light not light let us borrow, giving no heed to our burden of sorrow?  Will you help us soon?  Will you help us soon?

Sorrowing wand’rers in darkness yet dwelling, dawned has the day of a radiance excelling, deaths deepest shadows forever dispelling.  Christ is coming soon!  Christ is coming soon!

Light o’er the land of the needy is beaming; rivers of life through its deserts are streaming, bringing all peoples a Savior redeeming.  Come and save us soon!  Come and save us soon! 

(Lost in the Night ELW 243)

What words or images do you notice?  Is there a phrase that feels most like your prayer for this day?  Pray it! 

Reflection -

We rarely experience being lost.   GPS protects us from that. We can almost always find our way from point  "a" to point "b" without depending upon anything other than a satellite signal. 

Yet, being lost (even once in a lifetime) can be a pivotal experience.  Being lost shatters the illusion of total self reliance.   Being lost teaches you that occasional and appropriate assistance from others (even dependence upon others) is part of being human.   

There are some behavior/attitude modification programs for unruly teens that impose "lostness".  The defiant one is taken into the wilderness and left -- "lost".  The "leaders" monitor the lost one, but the person is left in isolation until something "breaks" and he asks for (and thankfully accepts) assistance from an authority figure.  

When you feel lost, even desperate, it is likely that you will cry "come and save me!"  Today are you among the lost? Or perhaps today you are called to be the light in the darkness for someone wandering in suffering.  Perhaps you can guide someone to Christ.