Every parent at some point suffers from the panic that grips when a child goes missing. Hopefully, the experience is only a millisecond when the precious cherub wanders while the adult’s back is turned - paying for an item in the grocery store or replacing something on a Target shelf - then the blood curdling scream of the child’s name brings the little one swiftly back to the parent’s side. But no adult ever forgets the feeling of panicked terror, however fleeting, when a child vanishes from sight.
I can only compare the sensation to the ice bucket challenge of several years ago that raised money for ALS. Remember when we voluntarily dumped buckets of ice water on our heads and posted our reactions on social media? That moment when a child disappears from your sight is similar except from the inside out. The sensation begins by freezing the throat. As the panic seizes and you frantically look about for the child to see if they really are missing, the sensation travels down the esophagus to the stomach then fills the entire abdomen with gut wrenching, bone chilling cold - until the screaming begins.
Of course I’m speaking from experience. I could tell my Katie and Caroline tales here. Praise the Lord they were not serious, and both girls were not gone for an extended period of time; however, that feeling of panic never goes away. And I never wanted to feel it again.
Then - this dog…
Luca is a wanderer. He loves to roam. And the first time I called his name, and he didn’t come…Swoosh…ice bucket challenge right down the gullet. Frozen solid. That’s when I knew I loved him. He was a permanent part of the Counts' house. I panicked when I thought he was missing, and I would go to any length to find him.
Since that first moment when he wandered away, we have tried myriad solutions to get him to stay close to the house, but here is the issue. He is a nervous breed. He does not respond to negative corrections - Read between the lines here - If I punish him or stick an electric shock collar on him, he tinkles all over the place because he’s scared. His little spirit crushes. He does not respond to that type of discipline. Life would be a whole lot easier if he did.
As my prone to wander pup grows up, he’s learning to stick closer to home because mamma makes home a great place to be; warm bed, great food and treats, lots of snuggles and pets, and an overall happy environment. I love him and take care of him unconditionally, and he loves me back - unconditionally. Call it our invisible tether if you will.
Still, every time I call his name, until I hear that collar jingle and see that tongue lolling to the side as he runs full force toward the door, I have that moment of ice water. Why? Because he is prone to wander, and I am his mom, and I love him.
Aren’t we all prone to wander? Isn’t that a part of all our nature?
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Without a tether to God, we can’t find our way home. We wander aimlessly, searching in the chaos of the world, like a lost child, unable to hear the screaming voice of the parent desperately beckoning us to return to the parent’s side.
I hear daily the screaming of the world, the noisy chaos of the latest calamity on the news. Think about all the people you encounter regularly. Think about all the figures you routinely read about on your social media. Each one of them is wearing an identifying collar, leashed to what they prioritize. Each one of them answers something that calls into their lives. At the end of the day, something desperately shouts their names, and they answer.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
Thank the Lord He continues to seek us regardless of what we pursue on a daily basis. He never feels the ice in the pit of His stomach. He never fails to relentlessly pursue us no matter how lost we become. He knows exactly where we are, what type of disciple might make us respond and goes to any length to meet us. He never screams in panic, but offers a home with lots of snuggles and comfort - a happy environment - unconditional love. What is the asking price?
Here’s my heart; Lord,
Take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above.
Even though Luca may not respond to negative reinforcement, the Lord knows exactly how to seal me to Him for my greatest good, and He also knows what is best for you my friend. We spend an awful lot of time wandering toward what the world promises - giving our hearts over to the emptiness - when the Lord seals that easily wounded piece of flesh with His promise of eternity. That doesn’t mean the heart won’t be wounded over and over again on an emotional level while we are still in this earthly form, but that seal does offer a Father’s protection, Jesus’ blood flow that heals all wounds and plugs all holes until we are made whole.
Come, thou Fount of every blessing;
Tune my heart to sing thy grace
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise!
Be encouraged by this Lesson From Luca.
Words in Italics - Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing by Robert Robinson (1758); public domain
Comments