Our family often vacationed in Mexico during my teen years. Scuba diving near the Meso-American Reef and Isla Mujeres provided a beautiful glimpse of aquatic life thanks to the crystal clear water, brilliant coral, and a variety of sea life. While all the dives were exhilarating, one dive will forever be etched in my memory, even writing this many years later.

As our group slowly descended to our target depth, the dive leader gave us the sign to break away from the group to explore. My dive partner and I hovered above gorgeous coral, viewed schools of fish, and even observed a giant sea turtle up close.  Serene, quiet, slow moving… our dive up until that moment was just like other dives before it. Perfection.

Next, we saw a small cave, like the picture shown above. I followed my partner through the entrance, but instead of exiting toward the light like he did, my oxygen tank hooked on the ceiling of the cave. Despite kicking my fins and using my arms, I was frozen, flush against the top of the cave. I remember pushing above me against the cave ceiling with all my strength, yet I couldn’t free myself. Within minutes that felt like an eternity, my dive partner came back to the exit of the cave and dislodged my tank, freeing me.

Have you considered the parable of the lost sheep Jesus shared? The rejoicing that occurs when one of us comes to Him, or comes back to Him after leaving Him? My love and tenderness toward our Savior deepens every time I read Luke 15. He first addresses the ugly attitudes of the loveless Pharisees with an explanation of why He chose to minister to those who needed Him (Luke 15:1-7). First, He confirms that any of them would search high and low for a lost sheep, and compared the earthly and heavenly relief in finding the lost sheep to a sinner who repents. He said there would be great joy in heaven over that saved soul (how amazing is that to imagine?).

Perhaps the most touching parable follows the parable of the lost coin (Luke 15:8-10)… the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11). The story begins with a father and two sons. The younger son decided to ask for his portion of the inheritance early, and the father granted his request. Unfortunately, he not only mismanaged his wealth… Luke 15:13 says that he “squandered his property in reckless living.” He became so poor that he hired himself out to care for pigs, and while starving, and wishing he would be allowed to eat the pig’s food, he wasn’t even allowed to eat the pods they were given (Luke 15:16). The very next verse shows the turning of the key in his heart. He decided to humble himself before his father and made plans to confess his abhorrent behavior to his father. His redemptive hope was simply to be allowed to be hired on as a servant. He recognized the enormous hurt he had caused in his selfish recklessness, and logically, he didn’t feel he deserved to return to his previous position as the son (Luke 15:19).

The next passage brings tears to my eyes every single time:

“And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.”

~ Luke 15:20-24

My story earlier about being rescued in an underwater cave reminded me of the precious offer we have from Jesus to be saved. I’ll always remember that day in the ocean… the moment panic was replaced with relief. I felt a similar relief in my spirit the day I was baptized into Christ. Both moments happened to be with my father, and while I don’t have a strong connection to him, I will forever be connected to my Father in heaven, thanks to the love Christ has for me. Jesus is looking for all of us to be saved and live with Him for eternity, just like the father was looking for his beloved son. Jesus is not only looking: He’s celebrating every soul that was lost, and then found. You are loved beyond understanding, just as you are, because to Him: you are enough.  You are His treasure.