When my son was about two, we lost him for a short period of time. It was one of the scariest moments of my life. We were at the beach, and I was spraying the sand off my daughter, who was 4, and my son on our condominium porch. I sprayed her first and sent her in for a bath. I sprayed my little guy off and told him to go in to my husband. I finished cleaning off floats and hanging towels and headed inside. I went straight to the bathroom, washed my daughter, and we headed back up to the kitchen. By that time, it had been about 15 minutes since I came in. I called for my husband to send my son for a bath, and he said, “I thought he was with you.”
Time stopped. We stared at each other and immediately started screaming his name. He was not in the condo, so we ran outside, looking around frantically. We were on the first floor and right by a staircase. I ran up the stairs, around the balcony above, and as I came down the stairs on the other side of the building, I saw him. He was standing in the grass by the road, just looking around. He wasn’t crying. It appeared, in fact, that he was enjoying his little bit of freedom.
We scooped him up and praised God for keeping him safe. He could have walked into the road. Someone could have taken him. He could have gotten hurt. In our minds, it was a small miracle that our very active little man was standing by just waiting to be found. But what happened??? How could a mother have lost her child???
And then I thought about this story. Jesus’ parents had taken him to Jerusalem for the Passover, and when it was over, headed for home. When night came, they realized that Jesus wasn’t with them. They were traveling with a large group of people, and Luke 2:43-44 tell us that, “His parents didn’t miss him at first, because they assumed he was among the other travelers.” 
They assumed.
If you assume something, you suppose it to be the case, without proof. You don’t check facts. You don’t see with your own eyes and hear with your own ears. You trust hearsay or past experiences. And assumption can be so dangerous. I find myself assuming things when I’m too busy or tired to check facts. And honestly, sometimes, just being lazy.
I lost my son that day because I didn’t follow him in. I didn’t stay close to him. My eyes were deceived because when I glanced at him, distracted by other things, I thought he went inside when he actually went up the stairwell beside our door.
I assumed.
Now, this story is a good PSA to always make sure you know where your children are. But there is something more.
The Easter season is upon us. It is the time of year we remember that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. On that day all seemed lost. But three days later He rose again. And we were found.
There are friends, family, co-workers, and acquaintances we come in contact with every day. We see them right in front of us, and they seem fine. But they are lost as lost can be. We miss it because we assume they know Jesus. They are really nice. They may even go to church. They donate to charity. And you’ve never heard them cuss. You are too busy or distracted to dig too deep, but from what you see, there are no major red flags. But when it comes to salvation, that means nothing. And Jesus means everything.
Assume that no one has heard His story…or yours.
Share your story of being lost and then celebrate the fact that you are found because you chose Him. There is no greater joy this Easter season.
Maggie Meadows Cooper
Maggie Meadows Cooper is a wife, mother, educator, and blogger with a longing for women to grow a heart for Jesus and others. She is the author of the children’s book Bumper, helping others to see that the heart is what counts most. She blogs at The Little Moments and contributes to IBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women, Devotional Diva, and the Connecting Ministries Blog. ! She lives with her husband, three children, and two rambunctious dogs in Opelika, Alabama.
