I lost my girl the other day

We were at the grocery store and I was loading an enormous amount of food onto the conveyor belt. Milk and other cold items first, boxed and canned things next, and then the bananas and eggs so as to pack them perfectly into the bags and then into my trunk. I'm neurotic I know, I get hyper focused on organization all the time. Jennie was buckled in the cart amusing the workers to their total delight when I turned around and Sophia wasn't playing on the bars separating the check stands anymore.

"Sophia" I said without panic, but loud enough to be heard in all directions. No audible response was given, my heart sunk, and I knew that she was gone. "Will you watch my baby" heads nodded and I bolted left, the direction we had just come from. "Brown hair, pink pants, purple shirt" To someone willing to search with me. The spirit told me she was outside, I immediately turned around, ran across the entire storefront to the automatic door and looked out into the parking lot. I saw a grocery store worker next to my van holding the shoulders of my bawling little girl. I ran to her, hair flying, wrapped my arms around her and carried her back into the store to get Jennie, my purse, and our food.

Sophia had wandered off, and the magical doors opened as if to say follow me. Once outside, they wouldn't open again (you'd have to follow the "in" arrow for the doors to automatically open inward). Not knowing what to do, she wandered towards our van. Finding it locked, she just stood there and cried.

While paying, I just held her and tears streamed down my face. I couldn't make eye contact with anyone except to say thank you to the worker who watched Jennie for me. People weren't talking. Music was playing on the overhead speakers, and food was beeping across the scanners, but no one said a word. Jennie even knew to be sober. Another mother with a little girl came up to me and wrapped her arms around us tears also streaming down her face.

I think this all happened in less than 3 minutes.

I loaded the girls into their car seats, loaded our groceries into the van, buckled myself and before I turned the key I had to just sit and sob. I couldn't drive. I couldn't talk. I couldn't handle the idea that one of my children could have been lost to me forever. Everything I experienced Dalton's first bus ride home from school when he was lost to me for over an hour, everything I felt every time Joseph disappeared in a crowd (this has happened with him more often then I can recall), all the love a mother has for her children imploded and exploded on me that very moment. There are no real words to describe how much I love my children.

I am thankful for all of the people who saw a need and responded, she who watched Jennie, he who found Sophia, the cars that didn't run over my little one in the parking lot, the other people who doubtless were searching the entire store for Sophia. I am most grateful for the spirit who told me to turn around, and look outside. He knew where she was, and He knew that I would heed His voice, He likely protected her from harm as well. Thank you.