ISN’T IT TIME WE RETURN
By CHERYL CRUCE
It was an ordinary day when Mom loaded all five children into the family car for a shopping trip. Unbeknownst to her, I slipped from my seat, following her into the house as she retrieved her purse. Returning to the car, she pulled from the driveway without me.
I quickly ran from my room through the front door, trying to catch up with her, but to no avail. I do not remember how long I stood crying on that dirt road. However, I remember the purple sailboat and pink cat stitched to my lavender shirt. I recall the matching shorts and my buster brown shoes with side buckles. I also remember the uncontrollable sobs as Mom disappeared from my sight.
As quickly as Mom disappeared, she began to reappear. She must not have gone far before she realized I was not in the back seat. Soon she was in front of me, swooping me into her arms as I cried on her shoulder. This time she placed me in the front seat next to her, keeping her right arm tight around my shaking little body. I felt her comfort as she allowed me to cry my fear away. I think of my frightened state that day, yet I never thought of her being terrified for me.
It is strange how life and scripture collide into an object lesson.
There was a time when Mary and Joseph felt this type of fear. Jesus was 12 years old when they traveled to Jerusalem for Passover. It was a journey they made each year. However, on the return home, they realized Jesus was missing. At first, they searched among the family and friends they traveled with. Then they returned to Jerusalem and searched for three days before finding Jesus in the temple. When Mary saw her son, she wanted to know why He had worried them, causing them to search for Him (Luke 2:41-48).
Scripture teaches that Mary and Joseph nervously looked for Jesus. It occurs to me that through all the bumps and bruises of this world, the hardest has been when I left God out of the equation. The truth is, we cannot leave Jesus behind and remain strong. Faith is a journey of strengths and weaknesses. Strength grows, and vulnerabilities diminish as we stay in God’s presence. Still, without God, the opposite takes place. How long will we stand on the dirt road waiting for Him to chase our fears away?
So often, we set our priorities, forgetting that God has a perfect plan. We burn our energy in the busy work of life, failing to depend on His strength. Yet somewhere in our spirit, we know we can do all things through Him who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). Isn’t it time we go back to the sanctuary, renewing our commitment to Him, finding our strength again?
I do not know where you are in life, your hurts, disappointments, or fears. Sometimes it seems so easy to get out of the car (so to speak) to do our own thing.
Just remember, He is the mighty warrior who saves. His greatest desire is to place you on the front seat and soothe you with His love, to rejoice over you with singing. Let Him lift you up today (Zephaniah 3:17) and comfort you. Remember, you have a place in the Kingdom of God, and He is waiting right where you left Him. At the altar of your salvation.
Hebrews 10:25 Let us not neglect our church meetings, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near.
Cheryl Mixon-Cruce is Pastor of Ochlockonee Bay United Methodist Church and Sopchoppy United Methodist Church.
This is a repeat of a column that appeared in August.