The Lost Are Found!!!

This is Miharu.  One dark, cold, snowy night about a month ago, we came out of the church after eikaiwa to find her out in the mountain of snow recently pushed off of the parking lot.  She had a flashlight and she was digging, obviously looking for something.  We went over to inquire.  She said she had lost her car keys on Sunday and figured she must have dropped them in the parking lot.  There was a huge storm the day before and the snow plow had pushed all of the snow off the lot.  There was a mountain of snow.  We could only assume her keys were somewhere in that mountain.  We searched and searched.  It was dark and cold and it seemed hopeless. 

For the next couple of weeks, every time we were at the church during the day, we searched.  We talked to her about it several times.  She said it was okay, don't look anymore.  She said she had prayed about it and was told that she would find them, but not right now and that she should just use her spare key.  But there were many other keys on the ring and it was troubling her.  We kept searching. 

Then, last Sunday, she opened the drawer in the Relief Society room, and THERE WERE HER KEYS!!!  WAHOO!  How did they get in there?  We have no idea.  Did someone find them outside and put them in there?  Maybe.  We don't know and probably will never know.  But we were all so thrilled and rejoiced together. 

The next evening, just as we were preparing our dinner, the doorbell rang.  There was Miharu and her husband with a lovely gift of apples for us- huge delicious, sweet apples!  She wanted to thank us for helping and caring about her keys.

She said it reminded her of the parable of the lost coin.
8 ¶Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?

 9 And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.

She said that we helped and rejoiced with her just like in that parable.

Because of her insight to compare it to the parable, I've thought a lot about that since.  That is our purpose here- to help others and to look for the "lost coins".
 10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

I can only imagine the rejoicing in heaven when one is found!!