Sarah watched the pretty butterfly as it flew from
flower to flower.
The precocious six-year-old wondered, "Where does this pretty butterfly live."
With childish resolve, Sarah set her mind on following the butterfly home.
The butterfly flitted into the woods just beyond, and behind, Sarah's house.
It would settle on one wild flower after another. It flew deeper and deeper into the
woods. Sarah scampered after it.
"What a great adventure this is," she thought. As she followed the
butterfly, she also was looking at all of the other activity around her.
There was a little rabbit that went hopping up ahead. When she crossed the tiny
trickle of a stream, she saw a frog along its embankment.
But in front of her, the focus of her attention, was the butterfly. Bright orange and
black wings, fanning the air. Lofting and floating just a little in front of her.
Sarah noticed, to her dismay, it was beginning to get dark in the woods. She had lost
track of time and night was starting to set in. She turned to see what made a
cracking noise behind her and when she turned back around again, her butterfly was gone.
Now she was sad. Her butterfly disappeared and it was getting dark. Time to
get out of the woods Sarah rightly decided.
But Sarah discovered she did not know the way out. It all looked the same to her,
especially now that the light was fading. Nothing looked familiar.
Sarah sat on a big rock and thought about how she could find her way home. She
thought and thought. Little tears started trickling down her cheeks. She
realized she was lost. What had been beautiful in the light now became very scary as it
became dark.
Way off in the distance, Sarah thought she heard something.
It was not quite clear what it was, but it was comforting. It was something that
seemed old and familiar to her.
She walked towards that sound. Each step just a little faster than the step
before.
She kept focusing on the sound, pointing herself in its direction. And as she got
closer, she realized why it sounded so familiar. She knew why she felt so safe when she
first heard it.
For now, she was close enough to realize it was not just noise. It was a voice.
Not only was it a voice, it was a voice calling out her name.
"Sarah, where are you," the voice rang loud and clear through the woods.
"Sarah are you out there!"
It was her father. His strong voice pierced the woods crying out for her.
"I'm here, I'm here," Sarah cried back. Moving even faster
towards the voice calling her name.
She continued following the voice until she saw a little flicker of light in front
of her. As she got closer she could see that it was her father holding a lantern
just waiting for her to come home.
Her little legs ran the last few feet between them. And then she jumped up into her
father's arms. He was as glad to see her as she was to see him. She who was
lost now was found and was resting in her father's arms.
Like Sarah sometimes we too wander and get lost.
We start following some of the beautiful, exciting things in life and we get
separated from our Father in Heaven.
And the sense of loss is profound. We know we are not where we should be but not
quite sure how to get where we need to be.
It is at that point, that we need to take time to sit and listen. Seek out direction
how to get out of the seemingly impenetrable woods of worldly distractions that have
caused us to lose our way.
And if we listen closely enough, we will hear our Father's voice, calling us. Giving
us a direction to follow to come home.
That is when we will see the light and know that even when we are lost, distracted by what
the world offers us, Our Father In Heaven never stops calling for us. Never
stops looking for us. Never gives up on us.
And when we allow ourselves to get close enough to the Father. He will wrap His
loving arms around us. Draw us closer to Him. And let us know we never will
have to worry about finding our way again. For once we were lost but now, in the
Father's arms, we have been found.
If you are feeling a little lost this morning, listen for the Father's voice. It doesn't
matter where you may be in your walk of life, His voice will show you the way home. Listen
for the Father's Voice
