Lost(Darrell Case) The forest swallowed Daniel whole. One moment, he was chasing fireflies under the fading twilight, and the next, the world turned black as ink. The trees seemed to grow taller and closer together, their branches twisting like skeletal fingers, blotting out the stars.

He clutched his small lantern, its flickering flame the only defense against the pressing darkness. Shadows danced around him, some long and spindly, others hunched and shapeless. The hoot of an owl echoed somewhere above, and Daniel froze, his heart thudding like a drum. The call of the owl terrified him. At other times, it would be comforting. He whirled around, his eyes trying to penetrate the dark forest.

“Hello?” he called out, his voice quivering. “Mom? Dad?”

Only the rustling of leaves. They answered, carrying by a cold, whispering wind. Daniel realized he had wandered too far. The laughter of his mom, dad and sister. The glow of the campfire and the comforting scent of marshmallows were gone, replaced by the damp, earthy smell of the forest.

He turned in a slow circle, his lantern casting faint spots of light. Every direction looked the same—endless trees stretching into black nothingness. Lost. He had become lost. Panic bubbled up in his chest, but he swallowed it down.

“Stay calm,” he whispered to himself, repeating his dad’s words from their last hiking trip. “The forest is just trees. It’s not alive.”

But as the wind moaned again, and the shadows crept closer, Daniel wasn’t so sure. He felt as if a thousand eyes were up on him. Not a one of them human. For once, he wished he had listened more closely to ranger Rick. “If you become lost, just stay where you are. Someone will find you.” The ranger said, smiling.

He was sure ranger Rick was right, but when? Right now, he wasn’t hungry. The burgers his mother grilled were delicious. But what about tomorrow and the next day? How long could he survive?  

 He turned around, looking in all directions. All he saw was the black dark night. Tears came to his eyes. He angrily wiped them away. Your 10 years old, not a baby. He told himself.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid.” He said out loud. “You’re so stupid.” A sense of loneliness swept over him. He remembered his last fight with his sister. Her bike had a flat tire, so she rode his bike to her friend’s house. She said she had asked him. Involved in a video game, he didn’t remember. She may have. He made her cry. He felt bad about that now. Something moved. He jumped up from the log he had been setting on.

A racoon scuttled into the circle of light, scaring him. Daniel’s breath caught in his throat. The coon stopped, looked at him, and scurried away.

He laughed nervously. “Scared of your own shadow.” The owl hooted again, sounding closer. He shivered.  

The words of his Sunday school teacher, Mrs. Moorse, came to mind. “Giving is a splendid gift we can give to others. Just think, Christ gave his blood on the cross so we can live with Him for eternity.” Yet he got mad at his sister for borrowing his bike.

He set down on the log and sobbed. He felt so alone. Hearing a sound, he froze. The crunching of dry leaves came closer. It sounded bigger than the racoon. A bear, he was sure it was a bear. It would kill him. He wished he was safe at home. He wanted to run. The wrong thing to do. The bear was faster than him.

 Hooking the little lantern on his belt, he quickly climbed a small tree. Soon he realized his mistake. All the bear had to do was shake the tree and he would fall into its claws. He looked around for another tree big enough the bear staking wouldn’t affect it. He stretched out his hand. His fingers touched the branch of the other tree. His lantern flickered, then went out. He panicked. The darkness enclosed him. He felt the branch under his feet quiver. It was too small. If it broke, he would fall straight into the bear’s mouth. Tears flowed down his cheeks. There was no hope for him. If the fall didn’t kill him, the bear would. His heart plunged into despair.

A light appeared coming from the forest. The voice startled him. “Daniel, come down, son. It’s alright.” His father called. The bright search light lit the branches under the small boy. Joyfully, he climbed down. In seconds, he was in his father’s arms. Together they trudged through the dark forest, the searchlight lighting the way. Daniel felt embarrassed. How could he become lost so close to their camp?

He rejoined the family in the circle of light provided by the fire. The lesson Daniel learned that night alone in the forest stayed with him for the rest of his life. You can overcome any problem by staying close to The Lord. 

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