Thursday, October 22, 2009

Lost and Carried Away!


I am absolutely and completely in love with the month of October. I praise God for giving us this beautiful month of frosty mornings, breath carried away in puffs of smoke from our steamy mouths, and fiery leaves setting the trees ablaze against a bright blue sky, then silently falling to the ground in a sweet, musky-smelling pile that crackles under our feet.

Quite a few years ago when my children were very small, my sons and I were on our way to our neighborhood school where my oldest son, John, attended kindergarten. We were pleasantly surprised by a huge leaf pile, taller than my son's heads, piled up in the street, waiting for the city workers to come take it away in their truck to some far off destination for burning. Who could resist taking a few minutes out of a hectic schedule to jump and play in that glorious pile? We all rejoiced in the fun of that moment until a quick glance at my watch told me that we if we didn't cut the leaf-jumping short, John would be late for school. As the boys regretfully climbed out of the leaves, and brushed the remaining golden fragments from their jackets, Justin began to cry, for he had lost one of his shoes in the pile! We all quickly began to hunt for it, pushing and digging through the leaves, but to no avail.

We decided to let four-year-old Justin hop on one foot for the last two blocks to school, and after John went into class, we could look for the shoe once more. After kissing John farewell, Justin, Joe, Jack and I made our way back to the leaf-pile, poor Justin still hopping along. As we turned the corner to where the leaf-pile had been, here was the city truck, all of the leaves in the back, driving away with Justin's shoe! His shoe was lost and carried away!

It was bad luck for us that day, but thinking back to that moment, I realize that it is exactly how I want to be. I want to be lost and carried away like Justin's shoe. Only I don't want to be taken away to the city limits for burning. I want to be lost in Jesus' love, in his sweet and tender arms and carried away to eternal joy in heaven. I know I can get there, but it won't be from jumping head over heels into a leaf pile. Instead, I can get there by jumping head over heels into prayer, covering myself with words of love, burying myself under kind actions for my neighbors and losing myself in the joy of God's love.

Oh Jesus, let me get carried away in the wonder of your Love! Take me away to everlasting happiness. Amen.

7 comments:

  1. Anne,
    I love the connection of the lost shoe and getting lost and swept away in Jesus'love.
    Thanks for sharing this.

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  2. Gorgeous! You really bring back that joy of childhood--the freedom of flinging onesself into the great pile of leaves, trusting that the soft bed beneath will cushion the fall. Ah, but to be lost and carried away! That's the true joy and freedom, isn't it? What a lovely story. I hope you've shared with your children your insight.

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  3. Anne,
    I love October, too. I love how you take everyday experiences and turn them into love stories for the Lord. How He must smile when He sees this. I know that it makes me smile :) I loved the picture, too.

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  4. That cartoon picture suggests that perhaps you have been combing my front yard with a camera!
    LOL

    I'm with you Anne...SO EASY to see the GLORY OF GOD in AUTUMN!

    Such a sweet and tender memory of you and your boys...and I see it was even before sweet Mary came along!

    SWEPT AWAY LIKE A LOST SHOE...and then OTHERS could FIND HIM in us just like someone walking along a seashore finds a SHOE being washed in on the sands!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  5. As always...very inspiring. I love this time of year and you described it perfectly. What a great story and simile.

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  6. Beautiful. Absolutely. I was struck by the thought that a lost shoe seemed worth the fun you and your boys had. And then you made the connection of being swept away in Jesus' love...how complete!

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