Monday, November 24, 2008

Story of the Lost Sheep

I had the scare of my life the other night.

Bailey was at a retreat for church and she was going to come home on Saturday night to be able to be at work on Sunday morning. At about 3:45am I woke up and looked out the window and didn't see her car! Where was she? I went downstairs, cried, prayed, tried to get her on the cell phone...She wasn't answering...again, where was she?

For several hours, I was praying, crying out to God. What I found myself not doing was bargaining with God. I was pleading, but He seemed to place a bit of a peace in me at the same time. Not a peace that said she is ok and will come home safely, but a peace that said, whatever happens she will be ok...I (God), will take care of her one way or the other.

About 6:30, I finally felt like I could wake some people up to help me in my search for Bailey. Ben and I called several people from church to get cell phone numbers for others attending the retreat. Within several minutes, we heard back that Bailey was safe and sound. She had decided to stay at camp and not risk driving home late at night. The cell phone service was spotty, hence, no phone call telling us.

Relief, joy, overwhelming amount of gratitude set in! It happened, this time, that the peace that God provided me was just the peace that I wanted to have. What I realized, though, was that as hard as it would be, I was ok with whatever God allowed knowing that He was watching the whole situation and would turn all things for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose. Ben, Bailey, and I certainly all fit in that category!

Praise God, our lost sheep had come home! She was restored with our other sheep and we have one more thing for which to praise God this Thanksgiving week.

1 comment:

Jennifer Jackson said...

I have been in that situation before with DJ. Thank God that he gives us peace in times that we need it most.