You can only find it if it's been lost

"my money has been restored"

Genesis 42:28

I found something in the pocket of my jeans the other day.  Just a few dollars.  It's summer (as you probably know) so I haven't been wearing my jeans every day.  Or really, any day...

It's so exciting to find money you'd forgotten about, isn't it?  It's only happened a couple of other times in my life.  I think I just keep better track of my money than that.  But when it happens, you get a little jolt of excitement, ya know?  It kinda feels like it's a gift; as if it wasn't your money to begin with.  Which it was. 

So I'm all excited to have found a gift in my pocket, when I start thinking about one of my pet peeves when it comes to the Apple of my Eye.  And I'm sure you can guess what that is.

He leaves stuff in his pockets.

Over 23 years of marriage, many are the times when I find something shredded in the washing machine, or on the floor of the laundry room, or rattling around in the dryer.  Drives me crazy.

You might ask ~ because people have ~ why I don't just check his pockets before I put his pants in the washer.  There are two reasons.

First, he doesn't really do it all that frequently.  Like, just often enough to make me roll my eyes and think, "again?"  But not often enough that I ever gotten in the habit of checking. 

And the second reason I don't check his pockets for him is:  I don't want to.  After all, who knows what might be in there?  Used Kleenex?  Chewed gum (but in a wrapper, of course)?  Snips and snails and puppy dog tails?

Money is good.  Snips and snails are not.  But the crime is the same.  Forgetfulness.  Thoughtlessness.  Whatever you want to call it.  Just because I forgot something "better" doesn't mean I'm off the hook.  As a matter of fact, it could be argued mine was worse, because I neglected something valuable.

Again I'm reminded that when I point a finger at someone else, there are three fingers pointing back at me.

~ "For with what judgement you judge,

you will be judged;

and with the measure you use,

it will be measured back to you." ~

Matthew 7:2

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