TRANSCRIPT: Good morning, Five Minute Families. In Luke 15 we read the parable of the lost sheep. If a sheep has wandered, which they are prone to do, the shepherd leaves the rest of the flock in a safe space and searches until he finds the one lost sheep.

I was taken back to when our two oldest sons decided to walk from Maryland to Tennessee. Mind you, they were six and four years old. They gathered their gear and set off. Annnnd, they promptly got lost.

The boys had been playing on our screened-in back porch inside our closed-gate, fenced-in back yard, and their shoes were off. Kim went inside to tend to their infant brother. In less than ten minutes, they were gone.

When I saw that their shoes, blanket, and snack goldfish were gone, I immediately knew that something was wrong. I called for them, knocking on neighbors’ doors as I ran frantically through the neighborhood.

Then, two neighbors told Kim they had seen the boys at the front of the house on our dead end street and one remarked that a car had driven down, turned around, and then he didn’t see the boys again. We called the police.

As minutes ticked away, I began bargaining with God. “Lord, if they have been taken, please please let it be by someone who so desperately wants to have children that they are simply not in their right mind. Lord, if you will allow this to be the case, if they have been taken, I will accept never seeing them again.”

As I drove around, I prayed for the safety of my sons. God had seen us through difficult moments before, so I knew that I could place my trust in Him.

At some point, I placed our infant son into the caring arms of an elder neighbor who could not help search but was willing to hold a screaming child for almost an hour as we searched. Twenty-one adults and that many (or more) children helped us search. The police sent out a unit, and nearby family came to sit with us. The police officer went to check a sighting before coming to us. A construction worker who had stayed onsite as the others fanned out to search waved me over. One of his coworkers had spotted the boys.

I was driving around that area and found our two young sons over a mile away from our home, carrying a 6-foot metal pole and a metal baseball bat because – as the oldest said later – “we knew a plastic sword wouldn’t really protect us.”

The lessons we learned about spiritual lostness while finding our physically lost sheep include:

1. First, fear will lead you not to listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. God had been whispering for me to get on my knees and pray for my children. But, I felt that I had to keep going, keep looking, and since praying while moving isn’t wrong, that is what I chose to do instead. When my sister-in-law arrived, she said that my brother-in-law had immediately stopped working, gotten on his knees and begun to pray, and he felt full assurance from the Lord that the boys were safe. My thought was “isn’t that great for him but I don’t have my kids.” When I got word they were found, I realized that I had been disobedient and that though now with so many people around it would be embarrassing to hit my knees, that is exactly what I did in praise and thankfulness.

2. Second, we were willing to leave our safe and secure son to find the lost ones. It was not an easy time for him or the neighbor, but we did what was right in the moment, and we extended extra cuddles upon being reunited. Many times as parents we must allow our children to experience uncomfortable moments and then help them process those emotions later.

3. Third, we use bargaining to feel better and that reveals a false belief about God. Viewing God as a vending machine who will give us what we want as long as we put in enough of the cost is not how He operates. His grace and favor are free, and while we may not always understand the circumstances of the bad that befalls us, we must check our desires to manipulate God.

4. Fourth, discipline was necessary. As Hebrews says, “No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful.” The boys needed to understand the severity of what they had done. I did not enjoy punishing them, but as they stated later, “We would have done it again if you hadn’t.”

5. And, finally, we must remember the “overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God.” When our children were returned into our arms, the most overwhelming emotions were relief and an intense desire to cherish each one more deeply.

Reviewing this now funny anecdote was helpful to see the lessons God taught us through it. Lostness requires immediate attention and diligence. What godly lessons do you need to see in past family moments? Thank you for joining us this week. Be blessed!