I remember wandering off into the forest when I was a child. I had my trusty dog with me, so I really thought everything would be ok… After all, I was three years old! The forest behind my house was thick, but there were numerous trails that led back to other areas where the timber companies would harvest the pines.
The further I wandered, the braver I got. At one point, I finally had to reach the realization… I was lost. I don’t remember how long it was before my mom, along with the help of my sister and neighbors finally found me, but I remember crying because I was so scared that I would never get out of the forest. It was a terrifying moment for me.
Today, I still live in that same childhood home, and I still sometimes wander back through that same forest. I have a little better sense of direction all these years later. But one thing I always take with me is that I never forget what it was like to be lost.”
♫♪ “This is for the nobody
the one in the crowd that’s
got a lost look on his face.
This is for the downtrodden
the one that the world’s forgotten
waiting on a better day.Well, I’m in no position to judge ‘em,
cause Heaven knows they’re just like me.” ♫♪
My heart goes out to those who are lost in the forest of sin. The ones who either never took the time to try to know Jesus, and the ones who at one point knew Jesus and walked away from His plan for their lives. The ones who just never knew what it’s like to be free from sin and bondage, and the ones who got burned, and walked… and now feel that they won’t be accepted back. I’ve been BOTH of those people. At one point, that was the story of my life.
♫♪ “And I’m not alone in knowing what it’s like
to wonder where you’re going in the crazy life.
And I’m not alone in knowing how it feels
to pray to God and sometimes wonder if He’s real,
Cause I’ve Got Friends that do.” ♫♪
I have a friend right now who is involved with things he shouldn’t be.
As hard as I try, I cannot seem to break the shell he has built around him. I try my best to be an example to him and show him what Christ living inside of someone looks like.
I have another friend who truly accepted Christ about a year before he found out he was serve prison time for something that happened many years
before. Even though Christ resided in his heart, he was still a victim of the time. What a difficult time he had to endure in keeping a strong faith after something like that.
♫♪ This is for the lost junkie
who spends all his hard earned money
on something that he hates.
This is for the found guilty
who ain’t getting out until he
pays his debt to the state.Well, I’m in no position to judge ‘em,
cause Heaven knows it could’a been me.And I may not know what it’s like
to lose a job cause the habit’s got you gripped too tight.
And I may not know how it feels
to lay your head down on a prison bed in a world of steel
But, I’ve Got Friends that do.” ♫♪
I will never be able to reach a lost and dying world for Christ if I forget what it is like to be lost. I have to be able to relive what it’s like to be in their shoes. It’s like the old saying, “You have to catch fish before you clean them.” If I completely distance myself from them, there is no way that I can truly show them who Christ really is.
On that same token, I have to remember what it was like to be lost, and not allow myself to get lost again. I must remember the misery and terror that tormented me until I was rescued. That’s what keeps me strong. And remembering what Jesus did for me on the cross… that’s what really keeps me going.
♫♪ “This is for yours truly,
just a little verse to remind me
we’ve all got somewhere to turn…And I may not know what it’s like
to send my only Son to save the world and watch Him die.
And I may not know how it feels
to hang there on the cross to prove that love is real
But, I’ve Got Friends that do.” ♫♪
The Alarida Journey 