Searching for Jojo

In my last blog, I mentioned that only twice has my search for one of my children continued so long that I broke down in tears. Last Saturday was my second, this was my first experience:

It had been the perfect Easter day. A wonderful afternoon with friends that had extended well into the evening. It was now after 9:00 pm and time to gather our children and head for home.

The children all ran outside with their friends for one last minute of fun while I gathered the few remaining items. When we finally began loading everyone into the car, we realized that Jordan was nowhere to be found. Gregg ran inside to get him but couldn’t find him either.

That sick feeling rushed through my body. My stomach sank and my heart began to race. There were at least 12 of us looking everywhere for him and although we would loudly call out his name throughout the house and neighborhood, all we would hear in response was a dark eerie silence.

Amanda and Rick began searching one end of the street, while I took the other. Tina began frantically looking through every closet and spare space inside her home. Tina’s brother got a flashlight and began searching the woods in the back of their house while Gregg and Paul searched anywhere and everywhere they could imagine a four year old boy would wander. As all of our panic intensified, the time dragged on.

After what seemed an eternity (it actually was only about 15 min), we really thought it was about time to call the police. Then Tina found him.

Apparently, Jordan had crawled under one of the boys beds trying to retrieve one of his Easter eggs that had rolled out of his little reach. His shirt became caught on something and he couldn’t get out. He was stuck.

When we asked him why he didn’t respond when several of us came into the room calling (freakishly shouting) his name, he said it was because he had gum in his mouth. (Since when have my boys been concerned about talking with their mouth’s full?) He also said he thought it would be fun to scare daddy. (He didn’t take into account the many other adults who were sent into a frenetic panic.)

We all collapsed, emotionally drained and physically exhausted, breathing a big sigh of relief, thankful to be able to bring all of our children safely home.

Funny though, if you were to ask Jordan about the incident, he would tell you that he wasn’t lost. Just stuck.

Many Christians, in certain seasons and circumstances, find their relationship with God in a similar place. Stuck. Stuck in sin, stuck with the repercussions of bad choices, stuck with their bad habits and attitudes, and helpless to change. Unable to move forward.

How it must grieve God. Those children He loves, created and died for, just stuck. In those seasons, may we find the strength, power and grace that God supplies to move forward one day at a time.

Searching for Justin

One of the scariest experiences a parent can have is not being able to find their child. Only twice has my search for them gone so long that I was reduced to tears. Today was one of them.

Justin had finished his soccer game and we were now at Jordan’s game. About halfway through the third quarter, we realized that Justin had disappeared. We looked everywhere. Other fields, playgrounds, bathrooms. . . couldn’t find him anywhere. My heart began to race. It wasn’t like him to wander off without telling us—and he had just been sitting with us minutes before!

It was well into the fourth quarter when one of the parents shouted to us from across the field, “He’s over here!” Justin was just sitting on some steps, but a concrete wall had blocked him from our view.

After the whole experience, Gregg told me I shouldn’t have panicked. But I’m a mother. Can you expect anything less from a mother who can’t find her lost child?

How desperately God must feel towards his lost children.

“I will search for the lost and bring back the strays.” Ezekiel 34:16

“In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” Matthew 18:14