April 2, 2025 • 14 mins
In this episode of Nextdoor Gospel, Peggy Griffith discusses the concept of 'lostness' and its spiritual parallels. Peggy shares her personal story of finding a 'lucky nut' or sea bean during a vacation in Puerto Rico, drawing reflections on how we, like the sea bean, may feel lost but are never truly lost to God. Biblical references to lostness in Luke 15 and Psalm 139 underscore the message that God relentlessly seeks and treasures us, regardless of how far we may drift. Peggy encourages listeners to take heart and trust that they are always guided and held by God's hand.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Peggy Griffith (00:11):
And welcome back to Nextdoor Gospel.
I'm Peggy Griffith, and I am soglad to be spending time with
you today.
It is the fourth week of Lentand whatever you have going on
in your life right now, I hopetoday's episode finds you and
meets you wherever you are onyour journey.
(00:33):
And speaking of journeys today,I wanna talk a little bit about
lostness.
I'm not sure if that's a word,but, oh, well, here we are.
It's my podcast, so it's a wordtoday.
So I mentioned a couple of weeksago in a social media post that
I had taken a girls trip withthree of my besties in early
(00:56):
February.
We went to the Riomar area ofPuerto Rico and it was a trip.
I didn't know how much I neededafter all of the events of the
past year.
We had an amazing time.
Several thoughtful conversationsby the pool.
We soaked up as much vitamin Das our Wisconsin winter skin
(01:18):
could safely absorb while usingsunscreen.
Of course, it was so verylife-giving all the way around,
and I even won$300 at a slotmachine at a nearby resort.
So what's not to love?/ Now thefriend who pulled it all
together has been going to thisarea of Puerto Rico every year
(01:39):
for about the last 15 years orso, and it was great to be
there.
With her because she knew thearea, she knew all the great
eating establishments and theplaces around, and we are
already talking about doing itagain next year, and I am all in
for it.
On our last morning there, wetook a walk down the beach and
(02:02):
back, and as we walked andtalked, we kept our eyes open
for some unique shells or sanddollars or maybe a piece of sea
glass.
We spied cute little crabsscurrying back to their little
hidey holes.
But my friend mentioned thatpeople like to look around for
(02:23):
something that the locals calleda lucky nut.
And she said they are hard tofind and you can find them
washed up on the shoresometimes.
Well, lo and behold, as we wereconcluding our walk and
literally heading toward thewalking path to take us back to
our condo, I spied a really coollooking artifact in some
(02:47):
sargassum, and it looked reallycool.
It was a beautiful brown outershell, and it looked like it was
made of wood.
So I picked it up and I put itin my pocket, and as we were
walking back I said, Hey, Ithink I found a lucky nut.
And my friend took a look andsaid, Hey, it's a lucky nut.
(03:09):
I've never found one in my 15years walking that beach, so I
happily put it back in mypocket.
Now for a 49-year-old that can'tuse a computer without my
cheaters on, I was prettyimpressed with my keen eye for
this little nugget.
And since I like to researchthings and go down long rabbit
(03:29):
holes of knowledge, I wanted tolearn more about this little,
this little thing.
I found out that this lucky nutis also referred to as a sea
bean or a drift seed.
These little treasures come fromrainforests all over the world,
and they're carried by waterwaysto the ocean where they drift
(03:52):
until they wash up on a beachsomewhere, perhaps thousands of
miles from their origin.
I.
And of course I even found aFacebook group where I posted a
picture of my little discoveryand quickly learned that I have
found a highly sought after seapurse.
The species name is DiocleaReflexa, and they are native to
(04:15):
South America and even CentralAfrica, and it's called a sea
purse because it has a flat endthat resembles a purse that my
grandma might have carried.
It has a hard outer shell thatprotects it from the salt water
and allows it to buoyant floatalong with the currents for at
(04:39):
least 18 years.
It is a true long distance driftseed, and at some point it gets
tangled up in some seaweed andwashes ashore somewhere, until
an adoring bean collector scoopsit up.
A precious and unique treasurein their hands.
(05:01):
So needless to say, I think Imay have found a new hobby and I
see many more beach vacations inmy future.
I'll post a little picture ofthis treasure on the Nextdoor
Gospel, Facebook and Instagram.
Well, as you might imagine, evenas I talk to you about this
(05:22):
adorable little bean today.
I'm getting all goose bumpy andreflective around the biblical
and life parallels to be drawnabout the journey of a single
sea beam lost and drifting foryears, stories and secrets of
the ocean that will never betold until it is found and
(05:46):
celebrated.
So you see where I'm going withthis, right?
You know, I can't help but thinkabout how much we are like these
sea beans, sometimes driftingalong life's currents, perhaps
far from where we started,sometimes feeling utterly lost
(06:06):
at sea.
Our hard outer shells protectour hearts, and yet just like
that little sea purse I found.
We're never truly lost to theone who treasures us and calls
us.
Good.
(06:28):
The Bible has a lot to say aboutlostness, specifically in Luke
chapter 15.
Jesus tells three parables onthe topic, and I've been
reflecting on them ever since Ilearned about my little drifting
treasure.
First, there's the shepherd wholeaves the 99 sheep to find the
(06:48):
one that has wandered off.
And then we have the woman whoturns her house upside down,
searching for a lost coin.
And finally, there's the fatherwho watches the horizon daily,
waiting for his prodigal son toreturn home.
(07:11):
Now what strikes me about thesestories is how they reveal God's
heart toward us in our lostness.
In each case, whatever is lostis precious to the seeker that
shepherd.
He values that one sheep enoughto leave the others temporarily.
(07:34):
And the woman sees worth in thatone coin, even though she has
nine others and the father'slove for his wayward son never
diminishes no matter how far hestrays.
I mean, I'll be honest, if Ilose one earring from a$10 pair
(07:54):
I bought at Target, I might lookaround Halfheartedly for a
minute, but then I'm like, oh,well, and I tossed the other
one.
God isn't like that with us.
It's more like the way I am withmy phone or my car keys turning
everything upside down untilwhat's lost is found.
(08:16):
But these parables get reallyinteresting because you notice
how each story ends.
It ends with celebration.
The shepherd calls his friendstogether and says, rejoice with
me.
I have foul my lost sheep.
The woman invites her neighborsover and says, rejoice with me.
I have found my lost coin.
(08:39):
And when the prodigal sonreturns, the father throws a
party so extravagant that theolder brother gets jealous.
And you know, sometimes I thinkthat we all think of lostness as
a punishment.
Like God is up there shaking hishead, saying, well, you wandered
(09:00):
off and now you're on your own.
That's it.
But the God I know is arelentless seeker, the one who
follows us into our lostness.
I mean, think about Jonah, talkabout lost the man ended up in
the belly of a big fish, buteven there in that slimy, dark
(09:23):
and hopeless place.
God was with him and brought himback.
Or you can consider theIsraelites wandering in the
wilderness for 40 years.
That's an awfully long time tofeel lost.
But even in their wandering, Godprovided manna every morning and
the pillar of cloud by day andfire by night.
(09:46):
God never abandoned them intheir lostness.
I wonder how long my little seapurse drifted in the ocean.
Days, months, years.
Did it travel thousands of milesfrom West Africa or South
(10:07):
America?
Did it survive storms andpredators and pollution to
finally wash up on that beach inPuerto Rico at exactly the right
moment for me to find it?
I'll never know it's fulljourney, but I know this not
once during its drifting was ittruly lost.
(10:31):
The same currents that carriedit away from home, eventually
brought it to shore.
The same waves that might haveseemed threatening, actually
transported it to where it wasmeant to be.
And friends.
Perhaps the same is true for usIn Psalm 1 39, David writes, if
(10:54):
I settle on the far side of thesea, even there, your hand will
guide me.
Your right hand will hold mefast, even on the far side of
the sea, even in our most lostplaces.
God's hand guides us as well andholds us fast.
(11:20):
The prophet Isaiah in chapter43, verse two says, when you
pass through the waters, I willbe with you.
And when you pass through therivers, they will not sweep over
you.
And you notice it doesn't say ifyou pass through the waters, but
when.
God knows we'll have seasonswhere we feel like the currents
(11:43):
are too strong and we're justdrifting.
But God promises to be with usin those waters.
So I don't know what kind oflostness you might be
experiencing today.
Maybe you're like a sea beanfeeling tossed by circumstances
(12:03):
beyond your control.
Maybe you're like the prodigalson, aware that your own choices
have taken you far from home, ormaybe you are like the lost coin
feeling as though you've fallenthrough the cracks, unseen and
forgotten.
(12:26):
But wherever you are, whateverkind of lost you feel, you are
not lost to God.
God sees you and God seeks you,and God rejoices with delight in
you, even more than anenthusiastic bean collector on
the beach.
(12:49):
And you know, I keep that littlesea purse on my desk now.
I look at it, I hold it in myhands and run my fingers along
the smooth outer shell.
I'm reminded that Godspecializes in finding what's
lost.
So if that's you today, takeheart, the one who counts the
(13:13):
hairs on your head and calls thestars by name has not forgotten
you, and perhaps even yourlostness is part of your journey
home.
And when you allow yourself tobe found, all of Heaven
(13:34):
celebrates.
And that's it for this week'sshort episode of Nextdoor
Gospel./ If you want to see apicture of my little sea purse,
treasure, head over to ourFacebook or Instagram page.
/And at this message resonatedwith you, please share it with
someone who might be feeling alittle lost right now.
(13:56):
And remember to follow next doorgospel so you don't miss next
week's episode.
And until then, may the Lordbless you and keep you.
The Lord make his face to shineupon you and be gracious to you.
The Lord lift his face towardyou and give you peace.
(14:17):
Amen.
And welcome back to Nextdoor Gospel.
I'm Peggy Griffith, and I am soglad to be spending time with
you today.
It is the fourth week of Lentand whatever you have going on
in your life right now, I hopetoday's episode finds you and
meets you wherever you are onyour journey.
(00:33):
And speaking of journeys today,I wanna talk a little bit about
lostness.
I'm not sure if that's a word,but, oh, well, here we are.
It's my podcast, so it's a wordtoday.
So I mentioned a couple of weeksago in a social media post that
I had taken a girls trip withthree of my besties in early
(00:56):
February.
We went to the Riomar area ofPuerto Rico and it was a trip.
I didn't know how much I neededafter all of the events of the
past year.
We had an amazing time.
Several thoughtful conversationsby the pool.
We soaked up as much vitamin Das our Wisconsin winter skin
(01:18):
could safely absorb while usingsunscreen.
Of course, it was so verylife-giving all the way around,
and I even won$300 at a slotmachine at a nearby resort.
So what's not to love?/ Now thefriend who pulled it all
together has been going to thisarea of Puerto Rico every year
(01:39):
for about the last 15 years orso, and it was great to be
there.
With her because she knew thearea, she knew all the great
eating establishments and theplaces around, and we are
already talking about doing itagain next year, and I am all in
for it.
On our last morning there, wetook a walk down the beach and
(02:02):
back, and as we walked andtalked, we kept our eyes open
for some unique shells or sanddollars or maybe a piece of sea
glass.
We spied cute little crabsscurrying back to their little
hidey holes.
But my friend mentioned thatpeople like to look around for
(02:23):
something that the locals calleda lucky nut.
And she said they are hard tofind and you can find them
washed up on the shoresometimes.
Well, lo and behold, as we wereconcluding our walk and
literally heading toward thewalking path to take us back to
our condo, I spied a really coollooking artifact in some
(02:47):
sargassum, and it looked reallycool.
It was a beautiful brown outershell, and it looked like it was
made of wood.
So I picked it up and I put itin my pocket, and as we were
walking back I said, Hey, Ithink I found a lucky nut.
And my friend took a look andsaid, Hey, it's a lucky nut.
(03:09):
I've never found one in my 15years walking that beach, so I
happily put it back in mypocket.
Now for a 49-year-old that can'tuse a computer without my
cheaters on, I was prettyimpressed with my keen eye for
this little nugget.
And since I like to researchthings and go down long rabbit
(03:29):
holes of knowledge, I wanted tolearn more about this little,
this little thing.
I found out that this lucky nutis also referred to as a sea
bean or a drift seed.
These little treasures come fromrainforests all over the world,
and they're carried by waterwaysto the ocean where they drift
(03:52):
until they wash up on a beachsomewhere, perhaps thousands of
miles from their origin.
I.
And of course I even found aFacebook group where I posted a
picture of my little discoveryand quickly learned that I have
found a highly sought after seapurse.
The species name is DiocleaReflexa, and they are native to
(04:15):
South America and even CentralAfrica, and it's called a sea
purse because it has a flat endthat resembles a purse that my
grandma might have carried.
It has a hard outer shell thatprotects it from the salt water
and allows it to buoyant floatalong with the currents for at
(04:39):
least 18 years.
It is a true long distance driftseed, and at some point it gets
tangled up in some seaweed andwashes ashore somewhere, until
an adoring bean collector scoopsit up.
A precious and unique treasurein their hands.
(05:01):
So needless to say, I think Imay have found a new hobby and I
see many more beach vacations inmy future.
I'll post a little picture ofthis treasure on the Nextdoor
Gospel, Facebook and Instagram.
Well, as you might imagine, evenas I talk to you about this
(05:22):
adorable little bean today.
I'm getting all goose bumpy andreflective around the biblical
and life parallels to be drawnabout the journey of a single
sea beam lost and drifting foryears, stories and secrets of
the ocean that will never betold until it is found and
(05:46):
celebrated.
So you see where I'm going withthis, right?
You know, I can't help but thinkabout how much we are like these
sea beans, sometimes driftingalong life's currents, perhaps
far from where we started,sometimes feeling utterly lost
(06:06):
at sea.
Our hard outer shells protectour hearts, and yet just like
that little sea purse I found.
We're never truly lost to theone who treasures us and calls
us.
Good.
(06:28):
The Bible has a lot to say aboutlostness, specifically in Luke
chapter 15.
Jesus tells three parables onthe topic, and I've been
reflecting on them ever since Ilearned about my little drifting
treasure.
First, there's the shepherd wholeaves the 99 sheep to find the
(06:48):
one that has wandered off.
And then we have the woman whoturns her house upside down,
searching for a lost coin.
And finally, there's the fatherwho watches the horizon daily,
waiting for his prodigal son toreturn home.
(07:11):
Now what strikes me about thesestories is how they reveal God's
heart toward us in our lostness.
In each case, whatever is lostis precious to the seeker that
shepherd.
He values that one sheep enoughto leave the others temporarily.
(07:34):
And the woman sees worth in thatone coin, even though she has
nine others and the father'slove for his wayward son never
diminishes no matter how far hestrays.
I mean, I'll be honest, if Ilose one earring from a$10 pair
(07:54):
I bought at Target, I might lookaround Halfheartedly for a
minute, but then I'm like, oh,well, and I tossed the other
one.
God isn't like that with us.
It's more like the way I am withmy phone or my car keys turning
everything upside down untilwhat's lost is found.
(08:16):
But these parables get reallyinteresting because you notice
how each story ends.
It ends with celebration.
The shepherd calls his friendstogether and says, rejoice with
me.
I have foul my lost sheep.
The woman invites her neighborsover and says, rejoice with me.
I have found my lost coin.
(08:39):
And when the prodigal sonreturns, the father throws a
party so extravagant that theolder brother gets jealous.
And you know, sometimes I thinkthat we all think of lostness as
a punishment.
Like God is up there shaking hishead, saying, well, you wandered
(09:00):
off and now you're on your own.
That's it.
But the God I know is arelentless seeker, the one who
follows us into our lostness.
I mean, think about Jonah, talkabout lost the man ended up in
the belly of a big fish, buteven there in that slimy, dark
(09:23):
and hopeless place.
God was with him and brought himback.
Or you can consider theIsraelites wandering in the
wilderness for 40 years.
That's an awfully long time tofeel lost.
But even in their wandering, Godprovided manna every morning and
the pillar of cloud by day andfire by night.
(09:46):
God never abandoned them intheir lostness.
I wonder how long my little seapurse drifted in the ocean.
Days, months, years.
Did it travel thousands of milesfrom West Africa or South
(10:07):
America?
Did it survive storms andpredators and pollution to
finally wash up on that beach inPuerto Rico at exactly the right
moment for me to find it?
I'll never know it's fulljourney, but I know this not
once during its drifting was ittruly lost.
(10:31):
The same currents that carriedit away from home, eventually
brought it to shore.
The same waves that might haveseemed threatening, actually
transported it to where it wasmeant to be.
And friends.
Perhaps the same is true for usIn Psalm 1 39, David writes, if
(10:54):
I settle on the far side of thesea, even there, your hand will
guide me.
Your right hand will hold mefast, even on the far side of
the sea, even in our most lostplaces.
God's hand guides us as well andholds us fast.
(11:20):
The prophet Isaiah in chapter43, verse two says, when you
pass through the waters, I willbe with you.
And when you pass through therivers, they will not sweep over
you.
And you notice it doesn't say ifyou pass through the waters, but
when.
God knows we'll have seasonswhere we feel like the currents
(11:43):
are too strong and we're justdrifting.
But God promises to be with usin those waters.
So I don't know what kind oflostness you might be
experiencing today.
Maybe you're like a sea beanfeeling tossed by circumstances
(12:03):
beyond your control.
Maybe you're like the prodigalson, aware that your own choices
have taken you far from home, ormaybe you are like the lost coin
feeling as though you've fallenthrough the cracks, unseen and
forgotten.
(12:26):
But wherever you are, whateverkind of lost you feel, you are
not lost to God.
God sees you and God seeks you,and God rejoices with delight in
you, even more than anenthusiastic bean collector on
the beach.
(12:49):
And you know, I keep that littlesea purse on my desk now.
I look at it, I hold it in myhands and run my fingers along
the smooth outer shell.
I'm reminded that Godspecializes in finding what's
lost.
So if that's you today, takeheart, the one who counts the
(13:13):
hairs on your head and calls thestars by name has not forgotten
you, and perhaps even yourlostness is part of your journey
home.
And when you allow yourself tobe found, all of Heaven
(13:34):
celebrates.
And that's it for this week'sshort episode of Nextdoor
Gospel./ If you want to see apicture of my little sea purse,
treasure, head over to ourFacebook or Instagram page.
/And at this message resonatedwith you, please share it with
someone who might be feeling alittle lost right now.
(13:56):
And remember to follow next doorgospel so you don't miss next
week's episode.
And until then, may the Lordbless you and keep you.
The Lord make his face to shineupon you and be gracious to you.
The Lord lift his face towardyou and give you peace.
(14:17):
Amen.
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