I Will Never Leave You

Things had just settled down after supper, dishes cleaned and put away, family members dispersed to relax, when I heard the doorbell ring. As I walked into the foyer, I was surprised to see my neighbor’s young son. His eyes locked into mine and tears began profusely running down his face. As I opened the door, “My parents left me,” spilled out of his mouth.

“Oh no,” I said, “Your parents would never, ever, leave you. We just don’t know where they are at this exact moment.” I invited him to sit beside me on the steps as I gathered enough information to help. “Where is your brother? When was the last time you saw your mama and daddy?” “Brother is at home, Mom was in the kitchen.”

“O.k., Let me grab my shoes and I will go with you to find your parents.” He excitedly jumped back on his bike and started breathing a lot easier. His parents were outside talking to neighbors.

Like this young child, we sometimes lose sight of God our Father. We feel like God has left us. We can wonder and even ask ourselves when was the last time we saw God? God will never, ever, leave us. We can find God where we last saw Him, so to speak, “in the kitchen,” preparing food for our journey, sustaining and nourishing our daily lives.

If we’ve lost sight of God and feel He has left us alone in life, we can follow the courageous example of this young boy. He did not sit in sorrow, but proactively ventured out to find and restore his source of love and comfort. He found someone to lead him back to his loving parents.

This is the kind of childlike love, innocence, and holiness that delights the heart of God our Father. A love so absolute, so desired, so necessary for existence, that if we don’t see God in our lives, we are going to go out and look for Him. And in this action of our whole hearts filled with passion to find God, we receive the whole heart of God. Just as this young boy received his parent’s whole heart when they were reunited.

“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)