Episode Transcript
The following program is a first person narrative using author's license to tell stories drawn from the Bible and the books of Ellen White. Welcome to family. Story time with Karlie Fraser.
Join us as we step back in time to hear about the lost coin and the lost son. If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times. What will it take for people to learn to put things away around here? Maybe I'm overreacting, but do you ever get tired of picking things up? Don't get me wrong, a couple of items are okay, but when it ends up being me picking up everyone else's belongings, then the struggle becomes real.
Maybe it was in the small print, but I just didn't see entire family's personal assistant written in the job description for motherhood. And while it may come as a surprise, there are other things I would like to do with my time. I don't know.
I'm probably being too hard on them. Susannah would say I am. I was at her house just the other day and we were catching up over folding laundry.
Next thing I know, she's accused me of being OCD. Me? OCD? Seriously? I think it might have been because I kept refolding my cloaks to get them just right. I denied it, of course.
Truth be told, I'm not OCD. I'm CDO because I prefer things in alphabetical order. It's hard to be a neat freak and a mother, especially when you live in this dusty house.
If people say we live like animals, it's because we bring them inside with us each night, and with them a multitude of smells and mess. I wouldn't even be surprised if we lost a small lamb under all the rubbish that can build up. Seriously though, we have actually lost a few things.
Last week, it was Matan's coat, which somehow ended up in the cow's manger. I have a feeling his brother Elliot had something to do with that one. The week before, it was my husband's sandal that buried itself under the straw.
Needless to say, in our family, you need to hang on to anything of value lest it disappear forever. So, yeah, there have been some stressful times in this house and everyone stays on edge until the lost has been found. But nothing compares to the day of the drakma.
In fact, the family have never let me live it down since. In my defence, this headpiece was given to me by my mother as my marriage portion. And to lose even one of the drakmas from it was devastating.
Let alone the fact that one drakma is worth a full day's wage. You should have seen our house. Everything was turned upside down, the animal pen was swept clean, our sleeping mats were rolled up and taken outside, along with all the cooking pots and utensils.
Cloaks were carried out, as were small children. And then the real work began. I lit a lamp and started to make my way from one end of the room to the other.
I didn't care how long it took or how frustrated the family got. I was going to find that coin. But there was so much rubbish on the floor, I hadn't realized the extent to which it had built up until I was on my hands and knees sifting through it.
It was there, kneeling in the dust and searching, that I realized sometimes I can feel a lot like that coin. I know it sounds weird, but hear me out. Have you ever felt buried beneath the weight of daily life, restricted by responsibilities, dusted with deceit? Or perhaps covered with the old linen of lies that says you're not good enough and you never will be? Sometimes we can get so trapped that we feel like there's no way out.
Whether it's issues with work, health, family or finance, it seems like there's always something holding us down. Your rubbish might carry a different name to mine, but it still bears the weight. And it's like we're being buried alive.
And yet other times, we choose to disappear. I remember when I told Susanna about losing my drachma and she said, at least you haven't lost a son like Eliezer did. And that's so true.
Don't you love those friends who help you keep your perspective? What happened to Eliezer, it's just unthinkable. Josiah had no idea how good he had it with Eliezer as a father, all he could see were the rules and restrictions that were placed on him. He didn't understand that they were for his benefit.
So one day he went straight up to his father and asked for his inheritance then and there. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard it. He had practically said to his dad, I wish you were dead.
Give me my money. He was happy to receive all the privileges of being a son inheritance and position, and yet he didn't want any of the relationship or responsibility that came with it. But that's not all.
I think the crazier part is that Eliezer gave it to him. And I don't mean discipline, I mean the money. He counted out Josiah's share then and watched him pack his bags and head off down the road, destined, no doubt, to squander it all.
Now, I know I was dedicated in searching for my drachma, but Eliezer took it to the next level. Every morning before breakfast, he would head outside. His home was on a slight rise and he could see a fair distance, so he used to stand there with his hand blocking the early rays of the sun, hoping for a glimpse of his youngest.
I was walking past his house on my way home one evening, and I could hear him softly singing a lullaby he had sung over Josiah when he was a child. Don't you worry about anything. Instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. I remember brushing the tears from my eyes as I tried to smile a greeting. Time marched on.
And yet, every morning and evening, eliezer stood there, a sentinel frozen at his post, remembering the past and longing for a different future. So, yes, at least my coin didn't choose to leave. It also didn't choose to be found.
I can still remember the instant I felt it beneath my fingertips. I was back in the darkest corner, the lamplight flickering shadows up onto the wall and playing with my sight. But my fingers knew the truth when they felt it.
And there it was. I lifted my drachma up from the dust where it had lain and carefully cleaned it off. I was so excited.
My family wasn't home at the time, so I ran all the way to Susannah's. She called Elieise's wife over. And soon we nearly had a party that rivaled their son's homecoming.
Nearly. Actually, there never has been, and I'm not sure there ever will be a party that compares to Josiah's homecoming. For one thing, Eliezer ran.
He ran? Apparently, he had been standing there one morning, looking into the sun, when he saw a faint silhouette appear. Recognizing the step of his son, he bolted down the street with his garments raised to his knees. Imagine that.
A man of Eliezer's status lifting his robes to run. Just as we thought, josiah had squandered away his wealth until famine and poverty struck simultaneously, leaving him bankrupt and friendless. Turns out it wasn't until he found himself feeding, swine and about to die from hunger that he thought about returning home.
It's a dire situation that results in Eliezer's boy feeding the pigs. It was then that he came home to confess his sins to his father. I'm sure he probably had a whole speech planned, but he didn't have time to say it.
I still can't believe it. Eliezer ran to him. What was lost had been found.
Eliezer wasted no time in making sure Josiah was welcomed as a son, even though at his arrival, he looked like a slave. A robe, a ring and a new pair of sandals made the transformation complete as Josiah was finally welcomed home. It's interesting, you know? My drachma and Josiah both lost.
One didn't know it, the other chose to leave, and yet both still retained their value. Even covered in rubbish and dust, my drachma was still a drachma. It was still worth a day's wages and was of great personal value to me.
Josiah, as much as he tried to be otherwise, was still Eliezer's son. And there was nothing he could do or say to change that. Eliezer will still love Josiah more than Josiah will ever understand.
You know, sometimes when I'm feeling like that coin buried under the weight of everything, I wonder if anyone can see me. Do you ever feel like that? Like you're invisible? Sometimes I wonder if God can see me and if he even cares. I was making bread the other day when the words of the prophet Zephaniah came to mind.
The Lord your God is in your midst. The Mighty One will save. He will rejoice over you with gladness.
He will quiet you with his love. He will rejoice over you with singing. Suddenly I couldn't stop thinking about Eliezer standing tall outside his house, singing the lullaby he sang over Josiah while keeping his eye constantly on the road before him, longing for his son's return.
I think that's what God is like. And in some way, we are both the coin and the sun. We may not even know we're lost until someone comes searching.
Then we realize how disconnected we have been from God and from each other. I don't know about you, but it seems I get lost time and time again. I noticed something the other day.
If you look closely at my drachma, you'll see it bears the image of the ruling power of the monarch who authorized its existence. It has value because it bears the image of its creator. God created each one of us.
He designed us in his image. But we don't always live the way he calls us to, do we? Sometimes we profess his name and then live our own selfish lives, digging deeper and deeper till we're essentially lost in the rubbish, yet covered in muck. We still have value.
God knows exactly where we are and longs to pick us up, wipe us clean and carefully retrace his image in us. But it's up to us. He will only do so if we allow Him if we ask.
And you know the other crazy part? As he cleans us up, he gently asks us to go look for others, to light our lamps, get on our knees and start searching. Never giving up. My drachma was in my very own house, right where I live and work each day.
How many people do we know around us who need to see God's love in a tangible way in their lives? People in our homes, at our work, in our community. All it takes is one decision to take that step home, like Josiah did, to acknowledge that we can't save ourselves, that we need God daily in our families, our work and our relationships. And that's when he runs.
The moment God sees us turning to Him, he starts running. And when he reaches us, he covers our rags with his cloak, gives us a giant bear hug and welcomes us home. Words can't express the joy and relief I felt when I found my dracma.
And it's just a small coin. Imagine the excitement, the outright elation that fills all of Heaven when someone decides to become a part of God's family. For a large portion of my life, my identity was wrapped up in what I did each day.
So it's no wonder that I would get testy when my house was a mess or my kids mucked up and acted like animals, I felt like it was a direct reflection on me. And a lot of the time I felt like I was failing and worthless. It's been a long process for me to separate my work from my worth, but I have slowly learned that I am not defined by what I do.
Yes, it's a part of me, but it's not me. My value was determined before I was even born. God set a price on my head that only he could pay, and he's done the same with each of us.
Have you ever felt like I did? Like life is tough and you just keep messing up like you're worthless? Have you ever felt like my dracma covered in muck and dirt, hidden away from God? Wherever we are, God loves us just as we are, and he doesn't expect us to clean ourselves up before we come to Him. Our value and worth stem from being his. He is the one who does the cleaning in order that our lives may show a clearer picture of Him to those around us.
Have you gone wondering? Is it time to come home to hear our Father say, I love you, I've missed you and I forgive you. Welcome home. Will you pray with me, Father? Sometimes life is hard.
Sometimes we're not quite sure where we fit in or if we have any value at all. I pray that you will continue to remind us that we are created in your image and you long to do life with us every day. Thank you for the forgiveness you offer us.
Thank you for your love. May we always remember that you are our Father and there is always a place for us in your family. Amen.
Well, I guess I'm okay with picking up after them. At least their mess means they're at home. They are my little Drakmas, and it's my privilege to love them and to teach them about the one who loves them even more than I do.
Thank you, Karlie. Let's join Christopher and Jesse as they open the Bible to discuss today's story. Wow.
What? Another amazing story from Karlie about the lost son and the lost coin with some very thought provoking questions. One question that I could really identify with was if any one of us have ever felt lost. I know I've gotten lost in a shopping centre before, and it was very traumatic.
I wouldn't wish that experience on anyone. A shopping center? You think that's bad? Try getting lost in a castle dungeon in an overseas country where you don't even speak the national language. What? Did that really happen to you? You bet it did.
It all started on a typical cold and dreary winter's day in Denmark, where regardless of how many layers you wore, the freezing temperatures and brisk winds were sure to give you goosebumps and chills down your spine. Now, my family and I, we wanted to explore every inch of this fascinating new country, and that meant going to see a lot of medieval castles. Now, there was this one fateful day while we were being taken on a guided tour inside a castle that I was somehow separated from the rest of my family and left underground in the dark corners of the castle dungeon.
Now, I was terrified of the prospect of living the rest of my life alone underground. So I ran out looking for my family, hoping they hadn't left the castle without me. Man, at least in the shopping center, I was surrounded by crowds of people and I could see what was in front of me.
But did you end up finding your parents? Well, I ran out and I started looking for my parents everywhere I searched the main courtyard, the cannon platform, the gift shop, but it was as though they just vanished without a trace, except for one little lonely boy who was very lost. Running around the castle, I hear the last thing I want to hear over the loudspeaker. Hamlet's castle will be closing in ten minutes.
Please exit building before we lock up for the night. At least I wasn't in silence. I could listen to the upbeat playing music in the shopping center.
So did you make it out in time? Well, just as I was about to give up all hope and look for a place in the castle to call my new home, a security guard, he slowly starts walking up to me, this enormous man. He towers over me, but he softly says, is your name Christopher? With a sigh of relief, the security guard takes me back to my parents, and I finally escaped the castle. The lost son had returned home.
You know, the story in the Bible about the lost son and the lost coin, they both really make me think about how God's worked in my life. Yeah, the story challenges us to evaluate our relationship with God. In fact, both of Carly's stories remind me of a book in the Old Testament about the prophet Hosea and his wife, Goma.
How about we journey together into the book of Hosea and read the story of the lost wife? Now, I think I remember a little bit about the prophet Hosea. He was the last prophet to proclaim God's warnings against the nation of Israel. This was during that time where Israel was rebelling against God by worshipping idols while still taking all of the many blessings that God gave them.
Israel was confused and lost, and yet God still wanted to show mercy to them. Let's read together Hosea, chapter two and verse eight. That passage reads, for she did not know that I gave her grain new wine and oil, and I multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for baal.
So here we see God continuing to give many blessings to Israel and how do they repay God? By turning their backs on him and offering it to other gods. Can you imagine how you would feel if you gave a gift to a friend and they just threw it away? It's exactly the same as a lost son. He takes his father's blessings, turns his back on him, and throws it away.
Okay, so I'm starting to see this relationship between God and Israel and how Israel's just throwing away everything that God gives to them. But where does Hosea come into all of this? What's his part to play in the story? Yeah, well, Hosea was chosen to act out this relationship between Israel and God, as if his life was a prophetic play. And so Goma, that is Hosea's wife, just like Israel, accepts the gifts from her husband Hosea, but then turns her back on him and throws away her own life.
What? So how does Hosea react? Goma has just abandoned him, taken everything he has and broken his heart. Why would Hosea want to help her after all the things she's done to hurt him? Well, despite Goma turning her back on Hosea, hosea is still stirred with sympathy for the woman he loves, and so he rescues her from her pain. And God describes the love for his people in the same way.
Let's turn to Hosea, chapter eleven, and we'll read from verses one to four. And verse eight. Verses one to four read when Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son, as they called them.
So they went from them. They sacrificed to the Baals, and they burned incense to carved images. I taught ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms, but they did not know that I healed them.
I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love, and I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped down and fed them. And then verse eight reads how can I give you up a friam? How can I hand you over Israel? How can I make you like admir? How can I set you like Zeboyim? My heart churns within me, my sympathy is stirred.
What a beautiful verse. So we see that just like Hosea, and just like the prodigal son's father, god's sympathy is stirred and never goes cold for his people. So although they may have forgotten Him, he never forgets his children.
And so, really, it's through these stories that we see that God's heart churns for us and that he's just waiting for each one of us to turn back to him, eagerly waiting to embrace us with arms outstretched. Now, something I like to imagine is how each of these stories would have ended if the person who had turned away almost went back. Well, the prodigal son would have been left eating pig's food and in tattered rags and left to live the rest of his life alone.
Gomar would have been left to suffer the consequences of her actions and endure her painful life alone. And Israel, well, Israel, unfortunately didn't turn back, at least not until it was too late. But what that shows us is that God is always waiting for us to turn around back to Him, eagerly waiting to embrace us with arms outstretched.
So each of us has an important decision to make and the implications are eternal. Will we continue to live our lives lost and alone? Or will we turn to the cross to see Jesus eagerly waiting for our return with arms outstretched? Hebrews, chapter four, verse 16 says this let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Jesus is waiting for us to turn back to Him tattered rags and all, and give us the greatest treasure of all his love.
You have been listening to Family Story Time, a production of Three ABN, Australia. Radio Special thanks goes to Breakaway Music for giving us permission to use part of their scripture lullaby song entitled The Peace of God from their album Hidden in My Heart, volume One.
