God welcomes us home with open arms
"In the same way your father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost."
- Matthew 18:14 (NIV)
There is nothing more exciting than when God answers your prayers to find something you've lost. In my case, it was a lost child.
Looking back, I don't recall anything unusual about the day. It started out like any other. It was warm summer afternoon and the boys were at their friends' houses, or so I thought.
About midafternoon I decided to check on everyone. I was stunned when I came to check on Tim and his friends told me that he'd left some time ago.
"Left!" I said. "Where did he go?"
"I don't know," his friend said, sounding dumbfounded.
I started to make 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 people to check with, 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 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 and there was 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 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 told me he'd 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 to punish him or kiss him. Not surprisingly, I opted for huge kiss and hug.
After that experience, I believe I have an understanding of the heart of God. You see, like him, I know what it feels like when your child is lost; all you want is for them to come home. When we have wandered away from God, he yearns (as I did) for the lost child to come home.
And, just like I did with my son, God will receive us with open arms.
• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. She will be speaking at Panera Bread in Round Lake Beach Friday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. on the power of prayer. Contact Annettee by at (847) 543-8413 or Annetteebudzban@aol.com.