Paul had many things to be proud of - the right background, education, religious training, and spiritual achievements. And they were all good! But then something happened - he encountered the living and risen Christ. His life would never be the same, and all those things he was so proud of seemed absolutely worthless in comparison to knowing Jesus Christ. So it is with us - when we embark on a spiritual path and when we grow in our relationship with Jesus our lives will change.

So, why make such a big fuss over one coin or one sheep? After all, there were nine other coins and 99 additional sheep - why not be happy with those? But that is the point: the woman's treasure consisted of ten coins and there were one hundred sheep in the flock, no more and no less. So it is with people. We cannot separate and discard any part of humanity for we are all one. We cannot be truly happy if anyone is excluded. The missing coin or sheep was more important to the owner than all the others. So it is with God: the person who is broken, lost, or struggling is more important than all the others. There is great rejoicing when the wandering soul is recovered. We cannot judge, exclude, or label others. Our love and concern for struggling souls should be exceeded only by God's love.