The Lost Brother

When my boys were little, I took them to Disney's Animal Kingdom without my husband's help. It was tricky to keep up with two small children; their little feet wanted to go in completely different directions. I was particularly concerned about my 6-year-old who has a bad habit of wandering off.

We stopped at a huge playground. While parking the stroller, my youngest (almost 3) wanted a drink. I turned to get it out of the diaper bag . . . and he was gone!

At first, I calmly looked around for him, but my panic grew as the seconds ticked by with no hint of where he had gone. Other mothers in and around the playground noticed my horrified expression and offered their help.

In the midst of the search, Hunter grabbed my arm and said, "Mom, we HAVE to find him! He's my only brother!" (I'd like to think he would want to find him, even if he had another, "spare," brother.)

We did find him after what felt like hours (but was only a few minutes) . . . at the top of a 3-story slide! I have never been so relieved in all my life.

Jesus told a parable about a lost coin and a lost sheep (Luke 15:1-10). The characters in the parables leave everything to find what they lost. I would've searched the entire Animal Kingdom, Disney property, the state of Florida, and beyond to find my son. Isn't it wonderful to know that our Savior and Lord does the same for us?