Have any of you lost your kids? I’ve lost one of my kids once. It was actually at an Easter Egg hunt. It was at one of those events where eggs are scattered in a huge field, and 200 kids are lined up, ready to grab all the candy-filled eggs they can. I’ll never forget this hunt. As they counted down and the whistle blew, there was a sudden mass of kids. Before I knew it, I couldn’t find my daughter. Kids were everywhere, and all of a sudden, everything was a blur. Everyone was moving so fast, and I couldn’t tell which one was mine. My heart started to race; my eyes were searching… I lost my child. At that moment, I felt lost too! Do you know who else lost their child? Mary did. Yes, Mary, the mother of Jesus, lost her son, God’s only son. Can you imagine how lost and anxious she felt? The story can be found in Luke chapter 2. Here is what happened:
Luke 2:44-52 “Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days, they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” 49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them. 51 Then, he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”
I can’t imagine how she felt when she lost Jesus. I am sure she felt lost in those three agonizing days. This story not only makes me feel normal for feeling anxious, but it reminds me that we can trust him. We can trust that he knows what he’s doing. We can trust that we will find Him when we search for him, and we can trust the words he tells us to treasure in our hearts. My prayer for your anxious heart today is just that: Trust him, seek him and treasure his words.
Jamie Edelbrock