By: Sarah Nutter
I was browsing around the cosmetics section of my neighborhood Target a few weeks ago when I heard the most heart-wrenching cry from a little girl. I hate when little kids cry. It’s annoying. I mean, lots of the time they’re going off because they want some unnecessary toy, and I find myself thinking, “boy, if that were MY kid…” But that day was different, because I soon found out that this little girl was all alone.
She was lost. And she definitely wasn’t too happy about it.
I watched her fumble around (she was just a little toddler), her face streaked with tears, and my heart broke for her. I mean, I can remember what it was like to be lost. I got lost in a Wal-Mart with my sister once and we had to page my parents. It was humiliating, but more than that, it was terrifying. I got lost at age eleven in a Six Flags, and I actually had to ask a popcorn vender for help!(even worse – I’d been with a bunch of teenagers I wanted to impress). THAT was humiliating – but more than that, it was terrifying.
As I watched the little girl, I also thought about her mom. I’m sure wherever she was in that store, she was looking for her daughter. Scared to death.
I was just about to go to the kid and try to help when I saw something that completely blew me away. It happened so fast I would have missed it had I blinked. Three women surrounded her, one a store clerk, the other two probably moms in their early thirties. One woman picked the little girl up and dried her face. One woman started talking to her in a soothing voice to calm her fears. The other woman, the clerk, went to the company phone and called the manager to page the little girl’s mom.
I could not believe how kind those women were to the little girl. It gave me so much hope for our society. And it also gave me encouragement – if you haven’t already noted the parallel to how God picks us up when we’re lost, then you should really think about it. We’re just like that little girl, you guys. If you’re a Christian, you’re not lost anymore, but I bet you can just imagine the feeling you got when you found Jesus. It was terrifying and humiliating not knowing where you were going in life, but Jesus made it better. I wonder if you still feel that excitement – sometimes the passion wears away, doesn’t it?
You know who those women represent? The Church – the body of Christ – fellow believers. They help us out when we need them. They help us keep our passion for Christ going. They keep us accountable so if we ever feel “lost,” we can find God again.
If you’re not a Christian, then I pray that you’ll be found someday soon. Because God looking for you.
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