There are so many songs that talk about being lost. Lost in Love by Air Supply, Lost in Emotion by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feeling by Hall and Oates, and Lost by Coldplay. These are just a few. Lost is defined as being unable to find one’s way, not knowing one’s whereabouts. It is also defined as something that has been taken away or cannot be recovered. When we look at Moses in Chapters 3 and 4 of Exodus, he is giving excuses as to why he can’t be the leader for the people who are trapped as slaves in Egypt. God reassures him that He is with him in his assignment. Have you ever not taken an assignment due to fear, feelings of inferiority, or blatant disobedience? Did you ever stop to think that you were lost? Lost in the recesses of your mind playing tricks on you. Lost in buying into what other people may think of you. Lost in becoming self-centered and seeking instant gratification. Just lost.
In Deuteronomy 31 Moses gives his last charge to the people of Israel. At this point in the journey, Moses is aware that the Lord has walked with him through the journey. He has communed with and heard God’s voice. He had seen the many miracles that He could perform. As he releases the reigns as leader, he tells the Israelites about their next assignment and where they will do it. To be of encouragement to anyone that may have had the slightest doubt, Moses says,“ Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
God appoints Joshua as the leader of His people after Moses’ death. He is to gather the people and prepare to cross the Jordan River. In Joshua’s assignment the Lord says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua obeyed because he knew that God was with him. If these two men can fulfill their assignment knowing that God is with them, what makes us afraid or lack confidence in assuming our assignments?
Our fear and lack of confidence are sometimes caused by circumstances. It is during those circumstances that we must remember Who is with us. Grief and depression are the most common causes that make us believe that God is not with us, but it is during these hard assignments that we must fiercely cling to God’s presence in our lives. In 2004, one of my students was involved in a terrible single-car accident. It is an accident that should have taken his life, but God had plans for him [Chad]. It was a dark, rainy evening and the lighting on the road was almost non-existent when he took a curve too sharply, running the car off of the road and into an embankment, and flipping it several times. When the news reached the school the next day, we were all convinced that we were going to lose him. In looking back to that moment in 16 years, why didn’t any of us think that the Lord was with him? Why could we only see the most negative outcome for Chad?
Summer came and Chad continued with his physical therapy, but he remained in the wheelchair. Chad was out of school for months as he underwent surgeries to correct internal damage and healing for broken bones and external injuries. Let me tell you that the road to his recovery was long, and it was not easy for him, family, friends, classmates, or community. As months passed and we would get updates on Chad, and he continued to fight the pain. The accident damaged his brain and his motor ability. For as hard as he was trying, the probability of Chad walking again or being able to speak was minimal. As he reached a point where he could sit in a chair, he had a great desire to come to school although that seemed undoable. There is nobody like Chad! He came to school for one class every day, and it was quite an ordeal to get him there. But on every other day, Chad would be wheeled in by a home health assistant to sit for my American Literature class. He even chuckled a few times as I made gestures about certain characters in literature. By the end of the year, Chad could talk, and it was sometimes hard to understand him, but with patience, communication became key to his attitude, determination, and ultimately recovery.
His greatest supporter was his mom. This lady was a fighter and never gave up on him or the possibility of him walking. We would have long conversations as we would discuss schoolwork and different assignments. Mom’s faith was indescribable and relentless. She believed in the power of the Lord to heal, move mountains, and break down walls. Not once did she ever doubt that the Lord was not present. During his senior year, Chad came to school half of the day and worked from home the rest of the day. His nurse would roll him by my room to visit. Chad told me that when he was able to walk, I owed him lunch or dinner. I made a deal with him that if he got out of that chair and walked I would personally pick him up from his house and take him to our favorite wing spot. The deal was sealed with a handshake! So what was next? Graduation.
The Graduation Ceremony was at 6:00 at a large arena. The students, faculty, and families assembled, and each graduate’s name was called. The home health professional pushed Chad’s wheelchair up the ramp to the stage. When his name was called, he slowly rose from the wheelchair, and with the assistance of the home health nurse and his mother, Chad slowly and methodically walked across the stage to receive his high school diploma. Five hundred forty graduates stood to their feet and gave thunderous applause through screams and tears. Every parent and faculty member was on their feet cheering Chad on with every step he took. At that moment his mother’s prayers had been answered. Her faithfulness was rewarded, and her love for him was undeniable. Chad’s accident was considered a family assignment. It brought them closer together, and it helped them talk to other families that had endured this type of pain and suffering, and in some cases loss. Through it all, the Lord was with them.
All assignments are not “warm and fuzzy” or “materially rewarding,” but they all have a purpose. Perhaps this assignment was more for Chad’s mom. She retired from her job in order to care for him, and she sought God more than she ever had before. Today she has a story and a spirit that shares how in the midst of what some see as tragic was an assignment that drew them all closer to God. Suppose she had just given up, became angry, sank into the pit of depression, and never called out to God. She may have missed the opportunity to hear His voice, study his word, and pray specifically with intention. Chad’s mom may have missed the opportunity to bring her family closer together depending on God, and saying “yes” even when the assignment doesn’t feel so good.
And through it all, the conversation Jesus had with his disciples resonates about the Lord’s presence: “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Isn’t it remarkable that no matter what we go through and no matter how hard the assignment may be, the Lord is always there and giving us the resources that we need? And just in case you’re wondering, I held my end of the bargain by picking Chad up and taking him to dinner at our favorite wing spot. With his fancy new cane, Chad and I turned some heads!
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