He went walking by very quickly as I entered the store with my grocery cart. He looked only about four years old. I didn’t see any adults nearby, so I watched to make sure he was with a grown up. He wasn’t. His fast walk quickly turned into a run, and the tear rolling down his cheek made it apparent that he was lost. I left my cart and caught up with him just as he was getting ready to run out the door. A store employee joined me, and we assured him that we would find whomever he was looking for.
By this time the poor boy was so upset and scared that he could barely talk. After again reassuring him, he told us his name. An announcement was made over the loudspeaker, and we waited with anticipation for someone to come forward and be reunited with this little one. A few minutes later a young woman came rushing up. Much to my surprise, she began yelling and calling him a bad boy. I explained that he was looking for her, and he got scared. She seemed to settle down a bit then.
I couldn’t help a tear rolling down my cheek now. I had been expecting a happy reunion filled with relief and reassurance for that young boy. Perhaps the young mother was simply distraught and that is why she lashed out at her son. It was heartbreaking to see this little boy practically shaking with fright get yelled at. Children are a treasure.
In contrast to this scene, Jesus told a story about a shepherd looking for a lost sheep. This shepherd had 100 sheep, but one got lost. You might think that he wouldn’t bother looking, because he still had 99 sheep. This wasn’t the case, though. The shepherd left the other 99 and went searching for that one lost sheep. When he found it, he scooped it up into his arms, carried it home, and called everyone together for a celebration. What a beautiful picture of being found! Jesus loves each of us that much.
Hopefully that young mother later reassured her son of her love. Hopefully she realizes how loved she is. Hopefully you realize how loved you are!
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” I John 4:16
Please treasure your children.
Some treasures of my life are below:
Mom and Dad 
Four Willis ‘ all dressed up for Easter. 
Dave and Amy 
Dan and me 
Snuggles with sweet Senna and dear Adina
(P.S. I am first and foremost an Eagles fan, but the Steelers are my second favorite)
Sarah Bebes Blog 