Friday Flashback

A repost from my previous blog...

Deibert Park, Florence, Alabama

With four older brothers and sisters, when I was a child I recall being a little fearful that Mom could easily forget about me when we were out and about town.   I remember one summer day when I was about four, we were at a busy shopping center, and Mom was helping my brother with a pair of shoes.   Somehow, I wandered off.   It wasn’t long before I realized I was in unfamiliar territory…without anyone I recognized!  I went to the front of the store, but when I realized Mom wasn’t there, either, I ran outside, and by that time I was really wailing.   I ran down the sidewalk toward the busy highway.

A lady in the store followed me out and ran after me.   She took me by the hand and promised we’d find my mother.   She took me back into the store to the front counter.  I stopped crying and looked around, just in time to see my mom poke her head around the display.  I ran as fast as I could back to the arms of my mom!

In this turbulent world, there are days in my life when I feel just as lost and just as scared as I did those many years ago; a small, panicked child running down a sidewalk straight toward the busy highway.  But my Heavenly Father comes after me, He takes me by the hand, promises me safety, and he leads me back to Him…and I go running back to His loving arms.

It doesn’t matter what we’ve done, where we’ve been, or how far we’ve run, our Heavenly Father has His hand extended, and His arms opened wide.

Psalm 103

⁸ The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
⁹ He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
¹⁰ He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
¹² As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
¹³ As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
¹⁴ For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.