Dad shows us the way!
On a beautiful Saturday, Tom, Hanna and their friends Lukas and Emma went on a trip to the big city park with dad. The park was huge, with lots of paths, big trees, and colorful flower beds. The children ran ahead and discovered something exciting again and again – a wobbly wooden bridge, a small cave under tree roots and even an old well.
“Let’s try a new way!”, Lukas suggested enthusiastically. Without thinking twice, the children turned into a narrow path that was off the main paths.
After a while, Hanna suddenly stopped. “I think we’re lost…”, she said quietly.
The others looked around. The path looked the same everywhere – tall trees, green bushes and no bench or large meadow in sight.
“Oh no! How are we going to get back now?” Emma asked uncertainly. A queasy feeling crept into her thoughts.
Papa had remained calm. He smiled softly and said, “Don’t worry, we’re together. The most important thing now is that we don’t panic.”
Tom took a deep breath. “Maybe a prayer will help?” he suggested.
They all nodded, and Papa said aloud:
“Dear God, we are a bit lost right now and don’t know exactly which way to go. Please give us peace and clarity so that we can find our way back safely. And help us to trust – because if we stick together, we can overcome any challenge. Amen.”
“Amen,” the children whispered afterwards.
Suddenly Lukas noticed something. “Look! There’s a tree over there with a marker! We saw it earlier.”
“Then we’re not as far away as we thought!” cried Tom relieved.
Together they followed the markings and soon found the well-known main path again. After a few minutes they were standing on the large playground, laughing happily.
“I think it was like the story of the good shepherd,” Hanna said thoughtfully. “He leads the sheep home safely – just like Dad led us.”
Papa smiled. “We were never really lost, because we had each other. If we stick together and trust God, there is always a way.”
With this thought, the children played on the meadow for a long time, happy that they had found the right way – not only in the park, but also in their hearts. 💛
Bible passage
The appropriate biblical passage for this is Proverbs 3:5-6:
Proverbs 3:5-6 (Schlachter 2000): “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your understanding; know him in all your ways, and he will smooth your paths.”
