Christmas Night Hike

Last night the kids...Taylor, Evan, Cody and Taylor R went on a "Christmas Night Hike." They were following the creek bank and went out on Berry Wildlife Preserve where they ran into some low areas with standing water and tried to work their way around them. It didn't take long before the kids were turned around with no sense of direction and the temps were dropping. Thank goodness for cellphones...kind of like our direct line to God...they can reach Mom anytime, anywhere! So Keith and I set out to bring our lost kids home. We went over to the Texas Valley side of the reserve armed with a hiking stick, cell phone and a whistle. The plan was for them stay put for the moment and listen for the whistle. They had said they could barely hear when a car would every little while cross the old metal bridge, but not often enough to be able to follow the sound. So our plan was to blow the whistle and beat on the bridge to bring the kids out. We blew that whistle and made sure by cell phone the kids could hear us. First though, we made sure their right shoulders were lined up with the moon...the same as me and Keith (for direction.) Then we kept blowing that whistle and we beat on that bridge...until we could tell the kids were following the sound and making there way to safety. It took a long time...and it took them crossing through some cold, deep and dark, muddy waters...but eventually, they were in our car, half-frozen but safely heading home.

This kind of made me think about the lengths God sometimes has to go thru to guide us back to Him, when we step off His path. Sometimes we don't even realize until it's too late that we are "lost." And then we have to get still so we can hear His voice. I wonder if He ever laughs at the craziness that we, His kids get into? I know I did last night with mine. But I also know I was really relieved when we finally heard the voices of the kids, all-be-it, very distant. I also know that I couldn't wait for them to be back in my sight and safe in my home. I'm betting God feels the same with His children, probably even more so.