The Parable of the Lost Hairbrush

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." ~Luke 15:8

[This parable was spoken by Jesus, to assure those listening that no matter how many people love him, he still desperately searches for those who are lost, and rejoices when even one person repents and turns to God. Isn't that a beautiful, awe-inspiring truth? So forgive me friends, for the bit of fun I shall have with it below. And thanks, Tris, for being on the other end of the line.]

Suppose a woman had a favorite hair brush, which she shares with her six year old daughter, and that daughter left the hair brush lying around the house. Suppose the woman finally hands the daughter the brush and says, "Take thee this hair brush and put it back in its drawer," but instead of doing so, the daughter takes and loses the brush somewhere between the kitchen and the upstairs bathroom.

Does not the woman turn all the lights on, sweep the house, dump out all her purses and beach bags, search through the kids' backpacks, empty out all the bathroom drawers, and still not find it? And when she does not find it, does not the woman go out in public several days in a row with very big hair, because she will not buy a new hairbrush when she knows the old and perfectly good one is somewhere in her house?

And when four days have gone by and she has still not found it, will she not call a close girlfriend and weep over the phone about what the lost hairbrush represents? That it is among many other lost items this week, including a new pale pink toddler's Croc, a Joann Fabric and Craft 40% off coupon,her almost-three-year-old's docile personality, and possibly the woman's sanity?

And will that friend not reflectively listen? Will she not tell the woman that her hair looks great all frizzy and big? And will they not find comfort in their common -- if slightly silly -- trials and laugh. And ultimately, will the woman not say, "Rejoice with me, my friend, for thanks to you, I have found my sanity."