Little Boy Lost




	WRITE 2 THE HEART Stories that are aimed "Write 2 the Heart" June 12, 2002 Issue 061202 Cheryl Speir, Editor, moderator@write2theheart.com ----------------------------------------------------------- By subscription only! Welcome to your latest issue of "Write 2 the Heart" ------------------------------------------------------------- Do you have a heart-warming story to share? We are accepting story submissions at this time. Please e-mail your original story to moderator@write2theheart.com ------------------------------------------------------------- This is indeed every parent's nightmare. I have spent so many times with my heart pounding, looking for a lost little boy. When you finally find them, joy rises up within and you are quick to forget the fears and upsets of the search. ------------------------------------------------------------- Little Boy Lost By Reverend Richard Ryan ------------------------------------------------------------- It was every parent's nightmare. We had just left the bookstore at the mall St. Matthews and walked across the way to look at a pair of sandals for Cathy. After looking at the sandals, Cathy turned tome and asked, "Where's Jonathan?" I said, "Oh, he's here somewhere. Jenna where's Jonathan?" "I dunno Daddy" "Jonathan, Jonathan!" As a parent, your heart sinks a bit. You try not to panic. At first you think you'll see him just standing nearby distracted by something. But that didn't happen. Your heart sinks all the more. Each second seems like and eternity as you wade through the record crowd... which the day before Mother's day was like an ocean of people. Ten minutes became 15. Call security. Keep moving. Keep looking. Keep shouting his name in spite of the stares of shoppers. Your mind starts imagining every awful thing you've read about in the paper many times over. But this time it's your child. I moved around the area and then I checked back with Cathy at our original spot but immediately could tell in looking her way that security had not found him. I headed to the other end of the mall to make another loop around. We were now 20 to 30 minutes into this. Check his favorite science store. Maybe he's just not thinking. Maybe he's just joy shopping on his own. If he is, I'll tan his hide. He's not in the science store. Maybe they've found him back at the other end. I turn around and head back. It was then that I heard the cry that brought relief to my heart and a lump to my throat, "Daddy!!!" I looked in the direction of the scream and there stood Jonathan in the entrance to Dillard's with two ladies who were kindly watching over him. His face said it all. He wasn't off doing his own thing, he was lost and as frightened as scared as we were. He was as happy to hug Daddy, as Daddy was to hug him. We quickly walked hand in hand back to the other end of the mall. Several shop owners along the way expressed their relief as they waved at us. There was an emotional reunion with Mommy and Jenna, and I offered words of thanks to God that Jonathan had been found. I tried to take a big deep breath and let the stress out. We decided to give up the shopping and head home. As we walked toward the exit of the mall we immediately began to talk with the kids about what had happened. How could it have been avoided? What plan could we all agree on if we got separated again in the future? We had to learn from this. This can't happen to us again without us having a plan! Lord, help us to learn from our experiences! Learning from life and it's ups and downs. It's an on going process, isn't it? And it's an important part of life. There will come times in life when you feel lost. There may be times when you feel like I did last Saturday, frantically running around looking for something that's missing from your life. It's a scary feeling to not know what's going to happen next. But I remind you that in those times we need to look no further then God's Word, we need travel no farther then to our knees, we need holler nothing more than "Daddy" and our Heavenly Father will be there to comfort us, to hold us, to take us by the hand and take us where He wants us to go. It's a matter of trusting Him. It's a matter of believing His promises. It's a matter of faith. And it's a lifetime of learning. God is faithful! Rev. Richard Ryan © 2002 <onevoice_47112 @ yahoo.com> (You are encouraged to write to the authors to let them know what you think of their story, just remember to remove the space before and after the @ symbol. The space is placed in the address to protect our writers from viruses.) ---------------------------------------------------------------- Rev. Richard Ryan is an award winning writer and singer, husband and father of three. His award winning story "The Day I Met Daniel" is published in A Third Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul," and also in "Stories for a Faithful Heart." He is the assistant pastor of Old Capitol United Methodist Church in Corydon, IN. To contact Rev. Ryan: 141 Heidelberg Rd. West, Corydon, IN 47112 Additional writing by the author may be viewed at the church webpage: www.ocum.org (from the Heart) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Letters From Our Readers I had fond memories of gardens in the past after reading Zucchini Summer. We always had high hopes for a big harvest. There is nothing like planting a seed to make hope grow. Sometimes I wish life wasn't so busy so I could garden again. Maybe I'll just get a big pot and grow a tomato plant on the porch. Sandie **** (I wish all of you could see what one reader did to the poem Moonbeams! She added a winking moon and shooting star graphics along with the song "By the Light of the Silvery Moon". Great job Pat! Cheryl) --------------------------------------------------------------- Cheryl's Corner God is good! I woke up in the middle of the night several weeks ago with my breast burning. The words "Get a mammogram, now" ran through my head. The next day David said, "Isn't it time for your mammogram?" I made the appointment and went. The technician was very cheerful and chatty the whole time. When it was over she sent me to dress, but then called me back to retake a view on the one that was burning. Her whole attitude changed and she was no longer chatty. The radiologist wasn't in, so I had to wait several days for the results. When the call came, I was told to come in and retake the test and bring an older mammogram with me. They had found a spot. I called family and friends to pray for me. When I went in to retake it, they showed me the spot. It looked like a teardrop lying on its side. It was located in the same spot I had been feeling the burning. The burning sensation had increased greatly from the time of the first test and gradually stopped completely just before the second. The test was taken, no spot can be found! I am rejoicing in His goodness! God Bless Cheryl ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- © 2002 Write 2 the Heart Nothing may be reproduced or published without the written permission of the individual author or copyright owner. All rights belong to the authors. --------------------------------------------------------------- All subscriptions sent to your e-mail free of charge.