By Bob Perks
"I believe that little boy's lost!" said one woman. "Let's go over and talk to him," replied the other.
I could tell immediately, just by the look on his face. I'm sure you've experienced it. I know I have. Not just as a child, but as an adult, too.
I'm not talking about the dumb look we guys get when we have no idea where we are and we won't stop to ask for directions.
I mean that fear, that painful feeling of being all by yourself and you have no idea where you are.
That's what that child looked like.
He stood there frantically looking around for a familiar face. He was on that edge between "everything is fine" and "Oh my God, I'm going to die!"
Just as the two ladies approached him, his Mom appeared. What do you think she did?
She welcomed him with open arms. She hugged him and stroked his hair. She kissed him a hundred times.
It was almost worth getting lost.
I love happy endings.
I thought about the times I felt so lost as an adult. I remembered that empty feeling of abandonment, that dark cloud that engulfed my entire spirit. There was no one there to run up to me. There were no hugs, kisses, or joyful reunions then.
As I walked on about my business, I thought how wonderful it would be to know that those times when I felt lost there was someone who was missing me.
Then it dawned on me.
God.
Yes, God is always there. In those moments I was never alone.
But I am human. I cry out to be heard and spoken to. I reach to be touched. How can I hear God when I need the gentle voice of reason? How can I feel God when I need to be caressed and held close?
I stopped in my tracks. I was stumped. I stood there looking lost and confused. That is until another person passing by stopped.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"Pardon me?" I said.
"Are you alright? You looked like you needed help. Are you looking for something?"
I smiled a smile of a child of God. Looking at her I said, "I was looking for an answer and you were it."
My friend,
You are the touch of God for those who are lost.
You are the voice of God in times of confusion.
Make the next person you see feel like they've truly been missed. Even if they just walked back into the room and were only gone a few minutes.
Even if they are perfect strangers who seem lost and alone.
Perhaps your touch, your smile, your words will be just what they needed.
"I once was lost, but now I'm found. Was blind, but now I see!"
"I believe in you!"
-------
The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)
To Save That Which Was Lost
Matthew 18:12-22
"What do you think? If a man has one hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, doesn't he leave the ninety-nine, go to the mountains, and seek that which has gone astray? If he finds it, most assuredly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
"If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back your brother. But if he doesn't listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector."
"Most assuredly I tell you, whatever things you will bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever things you will release on earth will be released in heaven. Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them."
Then Peter came and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I don't tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven."
"I believe that little boy's lost!" said one woman. "Let's go over and talk to him," replied the other.
I could tell immediately, just by the look on his face. I'm sure you've experienced it. I know I have. Not just as a child, but as an adult, too.
I'm not talking about the dumb look we guys get when we have no idea where we are and we won't stop to ask for directions.
I mean that fear, that painful feeling of being all by yourself and you have no idea where you are.
That's what that child looked like.
He stood there frantically looking around for a familiar face. He was on that edge between "everything is fine" and "Oh my God, I'm going to die!"
Just as the two ladies approached him, his Mom appeared. What do you think she did?
She welcomed him with open arms. She hugged him and stroked his hair. She kissed him a hundred times.
It was almost worth getting lost.
I love happy endings.
I thought about the times I felt so lost as an adult. I remembered that empty feeling of abandonment, that dark cloud that engulfed my entire spirit. There was no one there to run up to me. There were no hugs, kisses, or joyful reunions then.
As I walked on about my business, I thought how wonderful it would be to know that those times when I felt lost there was someone who was missing me.
Then it dawned on me.
God.
Yes, God is always there. In those moments I was never alone.
But I am human. I cry out to be heard and spoken to. I reach to be touched. How can I hear God when I need the gentle voice of reason? How can I feel God when I need to be caressed and held close?
I stopped in my tracks. I was stumped. I stood there looking lost and confused. That is until another person passing by stopped.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"Pardon me?" I said.
"Are you alright? You looked like you needed help. Are you looking for something?"
I smiled a smile of a child of God. Looking at her I said, "I was looking for an answer and you were it."
My friend,
You are the touch of God for those who are lost.
You are the voice of God in times of confusion.
Make the next person you see feel like they've truly been missed. Even if they just walked back into the room and were only gone a few minutes.
Even if they are perfect strangers who seem lost and alone.
Perhaps your touch, your smile, your words will be just what they needed.
"I once was lost, but now I'm found. Was blind, but now I see!"
"I believe in you!"
-------
The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)
To Save That Which Was Lost
Matthew 18:12-22
"What do you think? If a man has one hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, doesn't he leave the ninety-nine, go to the mountains, and seek that which has gone astray? If he finds it, most assuredly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
"If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back your brother. But if he doesn't listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector."
"Most assuredly I tell you, whatever things you will bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever things you will release on earth will be released in heaven. Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them."
Then Peter came and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I don't tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven."
