God's heart for his lost children

I was thinking about the magnitude of God's compassion for all people.  He loved the world so much that He sent Jesus to rescue us. 

Parents know the intensity of the panic when they lose their children in a public place.  You immediately start calling their name, looking everywhere, asking other people if they have seen them.  Of course the analogy doesn't quite work, because God knows exactly where we are, but I think His reaching for us is even more intense than what we experience as parents.  

Labor Day weekend, we went to the water park at Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio, and Brandi ran across a girl who couldn't find her parents.  She was lonely and afraid, and Brandi and I felt the urgency and sense of helplessness of helping her find her parents.

Father, I want to live with your urgency and intensity in reaching out to your lost children.  You want all of your children back.  Your heart hurts that they are lost.  Your heart hurts for those who are lonely and scared.  Your heart hurts for those who are distracted by the things of this world and who don't yet realize that they are lost.  Lord, please use me to help people find you.  I love you, and I pray in the name of Jesus.