“Skylar, Skyyyylaaar, SKYLAAAAARRRR!”
I repeatedly call her name; each time with increasing volume and intensity- each moment brings a swell of panic and fear.
I just don’t know where she could have gone. One minute she was playing in the yard and the next she seems to have vanished into thin air!
What to do? Where to go? Who to call?
The fact that I'm dressed in pajamas, my face unwashed, teeth unbrushed and hair wild and on fire doesn’t stop me. All I care about is finding my sweet girl, Skylar.
I call for reinforcements and begin searching … searching the yard, the neighborhood and the woods that surround us.
I can’t help but cry and automatically think the worst- did someone take her? Did she wander off and can’t find her way? She must be so frightened!
Finally, I see her off in the distance at the edge of the woods a small little blur through my tears.
We run towards one another like a scene from a movie and embrace with wild abandon.
Oh, my heart sings for joy! So thankful that my sweet puppy was found - safe and sound.
Yes, Skylar the puppy.
Now for those who aren’t the animal lover, you may not understand my panic and subsequent relief. But, crying over the possible loss of my dog made me stop and think about how terrifying it must be for parents whose children are missing with no knowledge of their whereabouts and safety. I experienced just a tiny fraction of momentary pain, but nothing that compares to a parent’s agony over their child- a pain that must be unimaginable!
It is a paralyzing fear that no family would ever want to face. Yet, the stories still pique our interest; from news footage to theatrical productions. The movie, Taken, with Liam Neeson or the British television drama, Safe are great examples; both highlight the pain and the exhausting efforts parents go through to find and rescue their missing children.
Just like the fathers in these dramas, God the Father agonizes over His children too; especially those that are far from Him!
Jesus himself in Luke Chapter 15 highlights the importance of the pursuit of the lost when He tells three different parables on the topic: The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, and The Lost Son. All stress the importance and efforts made to seek out what is dear and valuable.
To seek and find the lost- no matter the cost.
MY FRIEND, YOU ARE VALUABLE TO GOD!
His love is fierce, and when we are far from Him, God will stop at nothing to seek us out and bring us home.
We are never forgotten, never overlooked or abandoned.
There is no where that we can run or hide that God cannot find us to rescue and restore.
God is relentless. He will search, He will battle, He will move heaven and earth just for you!
Are you lost? Far from God?
Please know, God yearns for you to be near Him and just like a Father looking for His missing child He will never rest until you are found.
Stop hiding and run to your Heavenly Father- His arms are open wide and waiting for you!
Oh, the joy THAT reunion would bring!
Thank you, Father, that you love us so immensely that nothing can separate us from you. You are relentless and will pursue us all the days of our life. You are ever present, all knowing and all powerful. You are a Father that loves so profoundly you gave your only Son so that we could be set free. Your arms are the only safe place to reside and oh, how beautiful it is to be found there!
“Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life.”~Psalm 23:6 (The Message)