When my oldest daughter, Megan, was three years old she traveled with Susan and me to a collector car auction in Missouri. One morning we walked together about a half-mile from our hotel to a restaurant for breakfast. I gripped her hand tightly as we talked during our morning stroll.

When we arrived at the restaurant, I let go of her hand only for a few seconds to read a menu mounted on a display. When I turned around, I noticed she was gone. Panic shot through my body when I realized she wasn’t close by. I screamed out her name and I ran. I sprinted up and down the restaurant’s large foyer. I burst through the exterior doors and attempted to memorize license plate numbers, makes, and models of cars that passed through the parking lot.

In that moment, not one concern regarding self-dignity entered my mind. I just wanted my daughter back, safe. A few minutes later, I found Megan in the women’s restroom with an older girl who had taken her to the bathroom. Even though this was the first place that I had looked, somehow I had missed the fact that she was inside a stall. When I found her, I held her in my arms and told her how much I loved her. I felt her breath on my face when I whispered, “Don’t ever tell your mother about this.”

This is exactly how God feels about any of His lost, or unrestored, children. He searches for lost sheep, lost coins, and lost sons. Jesus said, “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). Today, read Luke 15 and experience the heart of your loving heavenly Father.

Episode 67: Found with Larry Lance from mitchkrusetv on Vimeo.

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