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“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.

I run back into the grocery store while scanning the parking lot. I see cars leaving and hope that Paul is not in one them. “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 to the backseat, and look down onto the floor. That is where I found 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 curled up in the back of the car.

“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 kind woman watching my other children and get them buckled in too. As I climb into my seat and turn on the car, I notice I’m shaking. I take some deep breaths and pause to thank God for keeping Paul safe and helping me find him.

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Reflecting on, and writing this story, brought up all the feelings from that day – both the horror and fear I felt as I frantically searched for Paul, and the relief of finding him and the joy of answered prayer.

More importantly, on this day I had a clearer understanding and appreciation of how Jesus Christ pursued me when I was lost. Though, like Paul, I did not know I was lost, 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 and kill it.

The Bible calls Jesus our Good Shepherd and says we are His sheep. If we are wandering this earth without allowing Him to guide us, we are easy targets for the enemy’s attack. 

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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.

I left my other sons to search for Paul because of my love and care for him. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, seeks us, His lost sheep – 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, I understand that my connection with God is not a result of my own pursuit but a response to the Him seeking me. In life’s chaos, we often find ourselves lost and yearning for a connection, and it’s through faith in Jesus that we find direction, protection, and unconditional love. 

As we navigate life’s twists and turns, please know that just like a loving parent, God is continuously seeking you, inviting you into the warmth of His love. May you be found by Him and rest in His warm presence and careful delight.

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Prayer:

“Dear Jesus, thank you for pursuing me with your love. May I be found by you and follow you all the days of my life. May I pause and remember you throughout my day and allow you to lead me. You are the Great Shepherd who leads with love toward peace, joy, and fulfillment. Amen.”

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Verses to consider:

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The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 23:1-4

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For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

Isaiah 41:13

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I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Psalm 32:9