Lost and Found
“This is 9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” the man on the phone asked calmly.
“I’ve lost my son,” I stuttered between heavy, anxious breaths.
Paul was only 4. We had finished shopping and I asked him to climb into his car seat while I loaded our groceries. When I came around to buckle Paul into his seat, he wasn’t there.
“Paul?” I asked. No answer.
“Paul?” I said a little louder. No answer.
I looked inside the car. No Paul. I looked under the car. No Paul. I did a lap around my car. No Paul.
My heart was beating fast. I’m trying not to panic.
“Did you see a little boy with a red shirt?” I ask a woman getting into a car nearby. She shook her head no.
“I can’t find my son.” I say to people in the parking lot. No one has seen him.
A lady kindly offers to watch my other kids while I search for Paul.
“Has he been kidnapped?” I think, terrified.
I look inside the grocery store. No Paul.
The store manager sends staff out to help find my son and I decide it’s time to call 911, “What’s your emergency?”
“I’ve lost my son.” I respond, with panic in my voice.
While I answer the dispatcher’s questions, I suddenly remember to pray. I silently say, “God, you know where Paul is. Please show me what to do or where to look.” I pause, take a shaky breath and feel a prompt, “Go look in your car again.”
I’m still answering the dispatcher’s questions when I climb into my minivan to get a better look. I climb into the back and look down on the floor. There was little Paul, curled up behind the back seat, hiding.
“I found him! I found him!” I cry to the dispatcher and to the kind woman still watching my other children.
The dispatcher tells me how happy he is and then reminds me to breathe.
I hang up, take a deep breath, and ask Paul what he’s doing.
“I’m playing hide-and-seek with you Mommy!” he says with a big smile.
“Paul, please tell me we are playing hide-and-seek BEFORE you hide next time! I thought I lost you and I was scared.”
“But you FOUND me mom,” he playfully responds, full of joy.
I give him a hug and buckle him into his seat. I thank the woman watching my other children and get them buckled in. I’m shaking as I climb into my seat and turn on the car. I take a deep breath and thank God for keeping Paul safe and helping me find him.
As I write this story, it brings up the feelings from that day – the fear I felt as I frantically searched for Paul, the relief of finding him, and the joy of answered prayer.
This story reminds me of how Jesus pursued me when I was lost. Like Paul, I did not know I was lost, yet He found me. In His presence I found peace, acceptance, joy, unconditional love, purpose, and LIFE.
In the book of Luke, chapter 15, Jesus tells a story about a lost sheep. A lost sheep in the wilderness is doomed. It has no protection, and it would be only a short time before the coyotes or other predators would attack it.
The Bible calls Jesus our Good Shepherd and says we are His sheep. If we not allowing Him to guide us, we are easy targets for the enemy’s attack.
Just as I searched for my son, this story emphasizes the Shepherd’s relentless pursuit of us. In fact, the story shares how the Shepherd left the 99 sheep in his flock to find the ONE missing sheep. Similar to how I left my other sons to search for Paul, Jesus seeks you – a pursuit fueled by love.
The story in Luke 15 says that the Shepherd had “exuberant joy” when He found the lost sheep. He carried it to safety with “careful delight” (Luke 15:5 TPT).
As a Christ follower, my relationship with God is not because of my own pursuit, but a response to the Him seeking me.
Please know that just like a loving parent, God is continuously seeking you, inviting you into his joyful presence. May you be found by Him and his unconditional love.
Read more of Kathryn’s post about faith, family, and fun at https://kathrynegly.com.
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