In Australia there lived a family of five; Father and Mother, Gordon (9), Jimmie (5), and Janet (7).
One day Mother sent them out to gather firewood. Somehow they wandered too far into the forest and suddenly found out they didn’t know the way home.
“Coo-o-ey! Coo-o-ey!” called Goon as loud as he could, his eyes red with crying. But the only answer was the “Ha-ha-ha! Ha-ha-ha!” of the laughing bird. There were other birds like the bell bird and the colored parrots, but they all seemed to be saying, “We don’t know you. Who are you?”
“I’m so tired,” cried little Jimmie, and he fell to the ground. Gordon and Janet had to give up, too. The three huddled close together and soon all were sound asleep.
Back in the little cottage, mother was getting supper. Mr. Bruce would be home soon, and the children should show up any time.
“Mary, where are the children?” asked her husband as he came in.
“They went to the woods for kindling.”
John Bruce went to the door and called, “Coo-o-ey!” but there was no answer.
At last father and mother were both alarmed. They called their neighbors and a search party went out. All night long they searched, but in the early morning, Mr. Bruce came back and said, “They are nowhere to be found.”
With a heavy heart and her eyes filled with tears, Mrs. Bruce gave her husband a quick bite to eat. The whole neighborhood party kept up the search for seven weary days and nights. But there was no sign of the children.
Finally they thought of calling in some of the natives-the aborigines-to help. These fast disappearing people are experts on the trail. Soon they found a bent twig, further on some flattened grass, and then suddenly one of them sent up a yell and darted forward.
There in a bed of ferns were Gordon, Janet and Jimmie huddled together. They were still alive! Goon tried to sit up but fell back, and his lips were so dried he could only groan, “Father!” The others murmured, “Cold! Cold!”
Strong arms carried the children home. They were put into warm beds. With careful nursing they actually recovered. For nine days and eight nights they had been lost. Father and Mother were overcome with thankfulness.
Many dear boys and girls and grownups, too, are lost and do not know it. They are wandering in this dark world of sin and sorrow. Now the Lord Jesus “came to seek and to save that which was lost.” He loves each straying lamb and sheep far more than father and mother. He laid down His life to save His lost ones. A lost seeking sinner and a seeking Saviour are sure to meet. When one puts his trust in Jesus, then He will put that one on His shoulders of strength and carry him safe home to heaven.
ML-11/21/1976