Never lost
The events I am about to share with you happened when I was seven years old.
It was the night before Christmas. My parents had left for church to prepare the Thanksgiving service we hold every year on December 25 at church. [Editor’s note: Clowel is from Kinshasa,
Democratic Republic of Congo. In different parts of the world, branch Churches of Christ, Scientist, sometimes schedule the special Thanksgiving Day service, provided for in the Church Manual by Mary Baker Eddy, at times other than at the end of November.] I was supposed to spend the night with a Christian Science family—a daughter in the family is my friend.
My friend and her young aunt came to pick me up and bring me to their house. They lived far away from us. When we got off the bus, we had to pass through a market filled with people going in all directions. We had to walk in a one-person line and zigzag through the crowd. I did not know the way to get to my friend’s house. Since my friend and her aunt walked fast, I suddenly did not see them any longer in front of me, and soon I did not know where to go. I was lost.
I kept on walking, looking for them. Since I could not find them, I started crying. The people passing by made a circle around me to see what was going on, and I explained to them what had happened. But since I did not know one of our local languages, Lingala, very well, I spoke to them in French. However, they could not understand me because they could speak only Lingala. I understood a little of what they were saying, but I could not answer in Lingala. They were frustrated, and so was I!
A few minutes later, I calmed down and I thought of God, who is everywhere, as I had learned in the Christian Science Sunday School. I felt that God was with me and that He was taking care of me. I remembered that at home I often sang Hymn 53 from the Christian Science Hymnal with my mother. The hymn reads:
Everlasting arms of Love
Are beneath, around, above;
God it is who bears us on,
His the arm we lean upon.
He our ever-present guide
Faithful is, whate’er betide;
Gladly then we journey on,
With His arm to lean upon.
From earth’s fears and vain alarms
Safe in His encircling arms,
He will keep us all the way,
God, our refuge, strength and stay.
(John R. Macduff, adapt. © CSBD)
When I thought of this hymn, I felt completely at peace and I sang it with all my heart. Shortly after, I was able to find someone who spoke French and could help me get home safely. My older sister called my parents, who then called my friend’s family to tell them that I had returned home. We were all very grateful to God for protecting me and for returning me home safe and sound. And the next day we had a wonderful Christmas!
