I Remember: Blast from the Past

My niece JoDee just experienced one of those near panic situations with a missing three year old. Of course the child was enjoying herself thoroughly while momma was desperately searching. Reading her experience brought back a memory from my
young mom days.

When Carey was very young she seemed to disappear. I had been folding clothes on the kitchen table and had walked back to the bedrooms to put things away. When I came to the front of the house she was gone.

I looked everywhere in the house twice over and called for her repeatedly. To that point she had not been able to open the front door but all I could think was possibly she had figured it all out and was gone.

After what seemed an eternity I called Claigh at work and mobilized the few neighbors who were at home in the middle of the day to find her. One had seen an unfamiliar beat up van drive through the neighborhood.

When I went inside to call the police, I first knelt down in the bedroom to plead with Heavenly Father to help me know what to do. As I got up and walked down the hall to the phone, I had a strong impression to open the closet door. This was a small linen closet, shelves filled with linens and packed full. I opened the door and there she was with her hand on the inside door knob, big blue eyes looking up with glee. Really there was just enough room for her body to stand upright smashed between the door and the shelves AND she had been still there for so long! Carey was thrilled at her "hide and seek" success and I was tearfully relieved.

Children are a worry and a joy.