struggling with faith walk

The Next Step

stepping stones“Mom, I need help.”
My emotions froze when I heard his voice.
“Mom, I don’t know where I am, I need help.”
I quickly went into survival mode, teacher mode.
“Look around you, what do you see?”
My voice was calm, soothing, I was in savior mode.
“I don’t know, I see…”

What do you do when you know your son is lost, literally and figuratively?

Lost in the sense of not knowing where he is so you can find him and lost in the matter of not knowing what step to take next in life.

Then I thought of my own place in life, how the last six years have been that same struggle, feeling lost.

My son and I eventually connected and I was reminded of the story of the good shepherd that left the 99 sheep safe at home to go out and find the lost sheep. For that is exactly what I had done that night, left everyone at home, late at night, in the dark, to find my son. It was the conversation early that morning that sealed the trust and faith between the two of us – both on a journey going in the same direction, yet miles apart. For so long it had seemed we would never connect again, but the moment of finding him on the side of the road, in the dark, scared, and totally lost until I found him sealed in us a moment of trust.

A great place to take the next step.

Teddy & Ruth

I often joke about our dog, how she is totally spoiled and untrained, but actually she is one of the most loving pets I have ever owned. For someone that has owned many pets, this actually a high compliment, and not earned very easily. Case in point:
I recently returned from a weekend away in which there was a small teddy bear left in my room for a small fee. It just so happened that particular evening I really needed a teddy bear to cuddle and cry many tears upon. The following day, I did the same, the poor teddy, was a bit damp as I tucked him away in my luggage.
When I returned home I unpacked said Teddy, I placed him amongst my collection in front of the fire place and beside our TV. Eight or nine bears now were a part of the collection in that part of our home. I quickly forgot about that Teddy.
A few days later my husband came home and found the said bear held gently between our dog’s paws and she was carefully licking every place I had cried my tears. My husband did not know the significance of why the dog chose that particular bear over the several others she could have chosen from, so he was a bit unsure as to the significance since our dog had never chosen a bear to cuddle before.
A few days later my husband and I were discussing the new bear and he mentioned how he had found our dog tenderly cleaning every part of the small little bear.
I paused the conversation as I pondered why that bear might be different than all the other bears…then I knew why. She was washing away every tear that I had cried, I responded, “Oh, I know, I cried a bucket full of tears on that bear.”

A silent tear rolled down my face, as I remembered the scripture that talks about how at the end of all time our tears will be wiped away. I realized in a small way my dear dog had reminded me, that I was not alone in that room crying all those tears, that God had been there with me and…

There will come a time when there will be no more need for tears.
Revelation 21:4
‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Stacey Britton