when we lose Jesus

Today in our reading from the One Year Bible, we read about the time that Mary and Joseph lost Jesus. The selection is from Luke 2:26-52.

It's a great story. So very human, and yet so full of meaning. Mary and Joseph (have you ever thought about the fact that they didn't have a last name? Crazy, huh?) faithfully go to Jerusalem, like they did every year, for the Passover. When  it's to go home, they assume He's with their relatives in their big caravan. But He's not.They frantically search for Him for THREE days...can you imagine what they were thinking? God gave them this perfect son, and they LOST Him!! They finally find Him in the temple, doing "His Father's business".

We do that same thing. We go to worship, and then when it's over, we go home assuming Jesus is going with us. After some time, we sense that He's not here, like we thought. We miss His presence. We start to wonder what we've done wrong...we've been given these gifts, and we've lost our way. So we go looking for Him. And where do we find Him? In His Father's house (the church), and doing His Father's business...ministry. That's where Mary and Joseph found Him, and that's where we'll find Him.

If you find yourself missing His presence in your life, those are the places to look: in His Father's house...and doing His Father's business.

God, thank you for helping us find You.