Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost
Luke 15:6
Larry Gene Bell abducted Shari Smith from the end of her driveway on Friday, May 31st, 1985, somewhere around 3:15 PM after arriving home from school. The Federal Bureau of Investigations initiated the most massive search in the history of South Carolina as they began a search for Shari and the perpetrator who took her. I was a junior in High school at the time, and every night on television, there were updated reports of thousands of people scouring Lexington and Richland counties. At the time, the sheriff, James Metts, gave daily reports, and people all around were praying for a safe return for Shari.
Shari’s body was found on June 5th, and that was one of the saddest days in which I can remember. Not too much time passed after finding Shari’s body that another younger child was taken in Richland County. Her name was Debra May Helmick, and she was nine years old. She also died as a result of the kidnapping.
All I can remember was the intensive and extensive search for those two girls. What an incredibly sad time.
Our Father Desperately Seeks Us
There is one thing that we all should realize. God seeks us with desperation because He knows the end game does matter. While He desires a relationship with us, He is also no intruder who tries to break through the hardness of our hearts. He stands at the door and knocks while waiting for us to respond.
This parable in Luke 15 is an interesting one with a couple of main thoughts. The first is that God seeks us. Like any good father, God wants to extend His infinite love to us. When Shari went missing, her car door was open and still running at the end of her driveway. Undoubtedly, she was checking the mail when abducted. The search was on.
God is so near to us and waiting for us to respond to Him. While this parable is about a person’s salvation and eternal existence in heaven, it is also a reminder of God’s pursuit. Does that change the way you look at Him?
Our Father Passionately Rejoices when We Respond
Not only does God respond with rejoicing, but He invites us also to respond. This is an interesting and yet strong reminder that when a person moves from death to life in Christ, there should be great rejoicing across the world of believers. When a person changes their eternal address, it is the most significant decision someone could ever make.
While God still seeks people with great passion, He also uses us to intercede in that work. He invites us to share the hope that we have within us (1 Peter 3:15). Once we realize how passionate God is seeking us, we want to join Him in His work. The eternity of millions of people depend on it, and it starts with a conversation between another person and us.
My family was friends with Shari Smith’s family, and it was a gut-wrenching time for all who knew them. I still remember the feelings and thoughts about the whole incident. But the one thing that still stands out today is the intensity of the search for her. God is seeking us out with such intensity and waiting for us to respond. Will you respond today? Will you be the person God uses to help someone else respond?