Pastor Perry's Ponderings

When I was a little boy, my parents took me to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. I believe the year was 1972 and I was eight years old. Disney World had only been open since Oct. 1971. I grew up watching the magic kingdom on TV and having bedtime stories read to me about all the Disney characters. I was overwhelmed to actually be there and experience it live. The lights and the rides were so amazing. Of course I was only 8 years old at the time, so why wouldn't I be. Ticket prices were $3.75 per person, which in today's society with inflation would be about 25 dollars. Back then you also had to buy a coupon book with different priced "A through E" type coupons in order to ride certain rides. How many of you ever heard an older person say "that was definitely an E ticket attraction" when experiencing a thrill of some sort. E Tickets were for the most thrilling rides and cost another .85 cents each to ride them. Unlike today where your ticket is $100-190 dollars and every ride is included.

 

We had just gone through the Haunted Mansion and I wanted to do it again but my parents said no. My parents were watching the light parade and I took the time to try and find enough money to go to the ticket booth to get another E ticket to go through the Haunted House again. While I was wandering off asking people for money, the parade ended. I had become separated from my parents by the crowds. Little did I know that my parents were frantically looking for me. I had become lost to them. To me I had no idea how lost I was or for how long I had been lost. I remember going back to where my parents had been and they were not there. I am a little scared now. It wasn't until I heard my name and saw my parents running to me that I finally felt safe again. My parents were crying and I could not figure out what the big deal was as they grabbed me. Apparently, they had been searching for me for a long time. 

 

Step forward about 30 years. My daughter Molly was little and we were at another amusement park called 6 Flags over Great Lakes. We were very adamant about watching our daughter and not letting her out of our sight. While we were taking a break watching a show, I noticed a little boy about 3 years old that had come up to me by some trees and was playing near me. My first thought was where are your parents? He played there for about 5 minutes and I was looking around for who he could belong to. By now I was getting concerned because there was no one looking for him or watching him except me. I was about to get assistance from the staff when this young girl, a long way off began to scream. She was crying and calling out a child's name running through the crowd while looking hopelessly searching for her child. I got her attention believing the boy to be hers and I watched her fall to her knees and embrace him. 

 

Neither myself when I was young nor the little boy I had watched had no idea that we were lost or how lost we really were. Or the amount of energy and the frantic searching our parents had exerted to recover what was so precious to them. I wonder when we see Jesus face to face, that we also are going to be perplexed by how much energy and searching that Jesus did to find us and reconcile us to the father. How much love God has for us and the lengths he has gone to in order to find us. 

 

For those of us who were lost and now are found, shouldn't we be also helping others that are lost to find the Father that loves them so much. If you are found it is because the Father was looking for you and because others had been watching over you and praying until you heard the voice of the Father calling out to you. This year please keep praying for those that are lost and look after them until they hear His voice. Welcome to the year 2026.

 

In Love Bro. Perry