Thinking he was in their company,
they traveled on for a day.
—Luke 2:44
Many who have found Jesus have later lost him. Don’t say, “It could never happen to me.” It can happen; it does happen; it even happened to Mary. No one loved Jesus as Mary loved him. But there was a time when she lost him.
Joseph, Mary, and Jesus were in the entourage that journeyed to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When the group headed home, Jesus stayed behind, “but they [Mary and Joseph] were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day.”
If, while you are distracted with other things, you one day realize you have lost touch with Jesus, do as Mary and Joseph did: immediately retrace your steps and find him. Renew your commitment, refresh your fervor. Don’t permanently lose him.
Losing Jesus is an irreplaceable loss.