I was reading Psalm 139:7-12, putting a certain loved one’s name in appropriately. Suddenly I realized this was another side of Luke 15—the parable of the lost sheep.
With such a Shepherd, that lost sheep hadn’t a chance.

When our son Franklin was born, Luverne Gustavson, Bill’s secretary at that time, gave him a little stuffed black lamb containing a music box which, when wound, played “Jesus Loves Me.” It is on the bookshelf in my bedroom now beside a picture of our son in Israel holding in his arms a little black lamb.

Prophetic? Almost.

A comfort? Frequently.

This is one more illustration that when I am dealing with an all-powerful, all-knowing God, I, as a mere mortal, must offer my petitions not only with persistence but also with patience. Someday I’ll know why.?

Taken by permission from “Prodigals and Those Who Love Them,” By Ruth Bell Graham. ©1991, 1999 The Ruth Bell Graham Literary Trust.