THE NEARNESS OF THE FATHER

Years ago a little boy was entering school for the first time. The busy mother packed his lunch and told him to go straight up the road across the bridge to the schoolhouse. The boy saw a little fish in the stream below the bridge. He laid down his lunch and started down to the stream to catch the fish, but saw a beautiful butterfly, ran after it, and tried to catch it. It eluded him, leading him further and further down the road. When he finally gave up the chase, he could not find the bridge. He decided to pray. He knew only two prayers. The first one was, “Now I lay me down to sleep…” He realized that would not fit his case. The other - The Lord’s Prayer - was better. He knelt down and said aloud, “Our Father.” Instantly he heard a voice behind him. It was his own father, who had followed him because he knew it was his first day in school and he might need help. In telling his experience years later, the boy now grown to manhood, said it was the greatest revelation of his life to realize that his FATHER was so near! - Sunday School Times