The Bible tells us that God came to seek and save that which has been lost.
There is nothing more exciting than when God answers your prayers to find
something you have lost. In my case, it was a lost child.
There was nothing unusual about this day. It started out like any other. It was
a warm summer afternoon and the boys were at their friends' houses, or so I
thought. About mid-afternoon I decided to check on everyone. I was stunned when
I went to check on Tim, and his friend told me that he had left some time ago.
"Left!" I said. "Where did he go?"
"I don't know," his friend said, sounding dumbfounded.
So I started to make the rounds. I checked with every friend of Tim's I could
possibly imagine. Surely, someone must have seen him, I thought. But that was
not the case. Each place I searched turned up clueless.
As I ran out of his database of friends, I became frantic. And to top it off, it
was almost time for baseball practice. It wasn't like Tim to miss practice. It
was now time to call the police. As I waited for their arrival, I searched for a
current photo, and tried to jog my memory as to what he was wearing that day.
Dinnertime passed by, there was still no sign of Tim. As the search continued,
my mind went over a dozen scenarios, while my fearful heart cried out to God.
Finally, about 8:00 p.m. the hunt was over. I looked out my front door to see my
tired, hot, sweaty, son, pushing his bike with two flat tires. He had gone
fishing about two miles away, and had to walk his bike all the way home. The
sight of him evoked my emotions. I wasn't sure whether I should punish him or
kiss him. I quickly gave him a huge hug, and a kiss.
After that experience I have an understanding of the heart of God. I know what
it feels like when your child is lost and all you want is for them to come home
to you. When we have wandered away from God, He yearns for us to come to Him,
like a parent for a lost child. And just as I did with my son, He'll receive us
with open arms!
Annettee Budzban is an author, freelance writer, and religion columnist. She has
been published on many e-zine and in magazines. She has the writing ministry
Inspirations and sends her writings to friends and others. Her new book When
Heaven Whispers is overflowing with stories and devotions. Her e-mail address is
ahrtwrites2u@aol.com
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