Apr. 21, 2007 - Oh the wretchedness of being lost
How many of you have children that have a special "lovey" or favorite "stuffie"? Each of my children has had one.
My oldest had a Hello Kitty stuffed animal that she swiped from me when she was around 9 months old. We took this Kitty everywhere. We lost this Kitty everywhere. I recall a rainy night about 9pm. We realized we'd lost Kitty at a local grocery store that was about 5 miles away--a bit of a drive. We called and they were closed, but they had found Kitty and would put her in a brown paper sack behind the dumpster in the front of the store. Daddy made that trip and our little one fell asleep quickly. There are other stories like this one, but you know what I'm talking about. Eventually, she lost Kitty for good. It was a sad day. We bought a replacement one, but it wasn't quite the same. Around that time, she got very attached to a blanket my grandma had made her and now, at the age of 8, that is still her "lovey".
Now, our son became attached to a Veggie Tales pillow I made him when he was about 6 months old. He called it his "brrrr" because he couldn't talk. Even today at age 6, he has a remnant piece of that "brrrr". So many trips back to friend's houses or searching around the house and under beds looking for that pillow at bedtime! It even fell into the fire one time and Daddy bravely saved it (you should have heard the scream from our then 4 year old son!). He's now moved onto a few other "lovey" type of items, but no real special lovey. That kind of makes me sad! :(
Enter our baby of the family. She, at our urging, adopted a little Gerber blanket as her special lovey around 6 months old. About 2 months later, we (Daddy) lost this lovey at a restaurant, so we bought a replacement one. However, they were a bit different now since that first one was given to our older daughter 4 years earlier (she never was into it). So while the first one was white flannel with pink crepe like edging, this new one was white flannel on one side, with yellow satin backing and trim. She LOVED it! So much that she took it everywhere and around ages 19 months old--LOST IT! So we bought another identical one. This one did get thrown into a steelhead lake at the fish hatchery, but for the most part, it was well preserved. We were good, until last summer when our adorable 3 year old lost it at a local science museum. After a week of calling lost and found, we decided it was gone forever. So, instead of letting her break the attachment--I sewed her a bigger, pink, silky, ballet decorated lovey. She still asks for the "yellow one at OMSI" occasionally but loves this pink one. Then, she lost this pink lovey before Christmas this year and almost broke her attachment again, but then in January opened her backpack and found it (she had taken it to preschool for show and tell and forgot it was in there).
Now, for the whole point of this long story. She lost the pink lovey again last night and slept without it overnight. At bedtime tonight, she started crying for it and I backtracked our day yesterday. I realized the kids had been outside all day, so I took the flashlight out. I found the lovey outside, in a camping chair, at the top of the play set under cover. I had to climb up 3 rungs on a ladder in my pj's and flipflops to get this forgotten and lost lovey.
As I was walking in, I pondered on how it's possible to lose something, or to forget something, that is so important to us. If my kids can't "survive" without their lovies, why do they forget them or lose them so often?
Then I softly heard the voice of the Lord saying, "If you love me so much and can't survive without me, as you claim, then why do you forget about me and lose me so often?" How many times have I left the Lord in the cold rain? How many times have I retreived my Lord from behind a dumpster, when I recalled my need for him? How many times have I allowed my relationship with the Lord become tattered and worn down to remnants because of my mistreatment? How many times have I "replaced" my Lord with a new lord and treated him as if he's replaceable?
I know I struggle in this area-- I always have. But this real life object lesson brought it home to me how desperately I need the Lord and how often I mistreat him.
I also realized the day my children stop having lovies is going to be a sad day indeed, even with all the trouble of losing them and finding them--and I know this day is coming soon. My 8 year old teeters on the verge of being a tween and is already having hormonal issues. I know my baby days are numbered. Which is why I'll gladly go out searching for a lost lovey in the cold rain, just like my Lord would come search for me when I am lost and all alone.
Comments
Apr. 22, 2007 - Hi!
Posted by EldestOf5
Eld*est
Apr. 24, 2007 - Beautiful post!
Posted by AHappyHome
Thanks,
Keri
