Have you ever lost a family member? For 5 minutes—I have.
It was many years ago when family members were visiting our home. Our young kids and their young kids loved playing together—8 kids in all, ages 8 and under. The youngest was our 2 ½ year-old son.
At the time, we lived in a very quiet and friendly neighborhood. The kids were having a ball playing inside, outside in the backyard, and soon moved to the front yard to play with remote control cars. “Watch your brother!” I shouted. “We will…” they promised.
Raising small children, I'd become accustomed to counting to make sure everyone was accounted for—1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7…… someone is missing! Where’s Brian? We looked in every room in the house. We looked in the backyard, and in the front yard—no Brian. I became frantic.
Then, we walked up and down the street—north and south. At the corner, I noticed a woman standing and holding a small child—it was Brian.
He was playing with his remote control car and followed it down the street. When the kids’ attention turned to something different, Brian kept following the car. A neighbor I hadn’t met, saw a young child walking down the street alone (playing with his car) and picked him up. Knowing that someone would come looking for him, she waited.
While this was an excruciating 5 minutes, I was over-joyed to find that someone held him safely and waited for me to arrive.
Now that the experience is long passed, I am reminded of King David’s words to his son, Solomon.
1 Chronicles 28:9 says this, “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever."
Brian was too young to notice that he was in danger. Maybe Solomon was too. Today, this story is a reminder know God, serve God, and seek God.
Seek the Lord, He is waiting to be found by you.