When Your Kids Wander far & You Feel a Bit Lost

Lorie Hartshorn is a lover of Jesus, her family, and the local church.  She’s a wife, mom of three married children, Gramma to five littles, and a fellow Canadian Bible Teacher. She shares transparently about her family struggles as her three children ran from Jesus, leaving her and her husband questioning their own identity and purpose. Their family story is a testimony of the power of Jesus to transform and rescue, and it continues to bring hope to many. In her new book, FOUND, Lorie shares her story and the stories of others who faced identity crises. She shares from her recent book and video series, FOUND—Discover the Power of Your True Identity. It’s a delight to welcome Lorie to the front porch today… 

Guest Post by Lorie Hartshorn

I remember it like it was yesterday.

I had ventured out to get pictures of my two little boys. Justin was close to three years old, and Curtis was six months old. As any good mom would do, I dressed them in their matching tartan vests and headed to a photo center in a large retail store. The boys smiled on cue, and I was a proud mama. 

As I stood by the cash register to pay the clerk, I turned around—and Justin was gone! 

I frantically looked around the area, but he couldn’t be found.

The clerk could see my frantic state as I called his name louder as each minute passed. The staff called the manager, and soon, an announcement was made over the PA. My mind raced, and my stomach churned. How could I lose my precious child?

Every parent’s worst nightmare flashed through my mind. Had he been abducted? The manager headed to the front doors to lock them while we searched. 

As he approached the double doors, he spotted a small boy sitting on one of the coin-operated rides with a big smile on his face. He asked the boy for his name; sure enough, it was Justin. The manager took him gently by the hand and brought him to me. 

I cried and hugged him while the other clerks and even customers cheered. My precious son, who is one of the most valuable people in my life, had gone missing—but what was lost had now been found. 

Fast-forward fifteen years later, and my son got lost again.

He became disconnected from his family, into the world of addiction and rebellion. 

Within a few months, all three of our children were running from Jesus and were lost in the party scene.  They weren’t the only ones who got lost. 

I lost my grip on who I was as a mother, wife, teacher, and leader. The things that defined me had let me down. I was in the middle of an identity crisis. Who am I if I’m a failed mother?

“Every human being is a reflection of God in this world, but we lost our true identity and purpose in the garden. That’s why Jesus came—to restore what was lost in the garden and enable us to find our true identity again. “

Chances are that you, too, are experiencing an identity crisis because the world is in an identity crisis. From young to old, people are trying to find themselves. What does it mean to be human? What is the purpose of life? 

Identity speaks to the core of who you think you are. Identity is how you define yourself and it’s often attached to the things that give you value and worth. 

Sadly, we define ourselves by our relationships, stuff, status, or the things we’ve done or not done. Do we measure up? Who are we outside of our circumstances? 

The truth is that answering these questions falls short of telling us who we are. It’s like looking into a distorted mirror and seeing a distorted reflection of yourself. 

So, where do we find a perfect mirror? A mirror that will truly reflect who we are?  I believe that Jesus is the perfect mirror. Jesus showed us who we are to be. 

Every human being is a reflection of God in this world, but we lost our true identity and purpose in the garden. That’s why Jesus came—to restore what was lost in the garden and enable us to find our true identity again. 

Genesis 1:26a NLT  Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us.

We are designed to reflect God in this world, to be like Him. Jesus shows us what that looks like. Jesus shows us who God is and who we are created to be—his image-bearers, sharing in His purpose. We share God’s identity and mission—to represent Him on this earth. But we lost all that in the garden. Satan stole it from us, and humankind has been looking for it ever since. But God!  

“He made us in His image to reflect His likeness and to participate in what He is doing. He invites us into a family, into a partnership to bring His kingdom and will to this earth—to our everyday experience.”

Ephesians 2:4,5 NLT  But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.

Jesus gives us life!  Sadly many of us live our lives as if Christianity is just a ticket to heaven, which leaves us missing out on all that’s available to us today. We’ve settled for a powerless Christianity. We go through life half-awake, not knowing who we really are and all that’s available to us. When the family is falling apart or the job fails, we are, too.

Identity and purpose are closely connected.  For a long time, I searched for my purpose and thought it might be some mysterious thing God was keeping from me, and I had to figure it out. 

This is not how God intended for us to live. He wants so much more for us. He made us in His image to reflect His likeness and to participate in what He is doing. He invites us into a family, into a partnership to bring His kingdom and will to this earth—to our everyday experience.

His kingdom has come, and we all too often miss it.

We’re overwhelmed by life’s struggles and looking in all the wrong mirrors, seeing a distorted view of ourselves. 

God invites us to live like Jesus. To find your true self and purpose is to look into the perfect mirror, and that mirror is Jesus. He shows us who we were designed to be, and gives us everything we need to live the life He calls us to live through the power of the Holy Spirit.

“We are not defined by our circumstances, status, or stuff but by who God says we are—His dearly loved child and His image bearer. “

2 Peter 1:3 NLT By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.

1 John 4:17b NIV In this world we are like Jesus.

In the middle of difficulty, we can live like Jesus, reflecting God in the world! We are not defined by our circumstances, status, or stuff but by who God says we are—His dearly loved child and His image bearer. When your children are struggling, or your spouse leaves, you can be the person God designed you to be.  

After years of struggle, tears, and many prayers, God found our lost children and brought them home—home to Himself and home to their true identity in Christ.

God wants to bring you home to your true identity in Him because everything that was lost in the garden is FOUND in Jesus!

It’s available to you, too.

Lorie Hartshorn is an International Speaker, Author, Pastor and TV Host.  She loves to see people grow in faith and experience spiritual freedom. Lorie’s powerful video-driven bible study, Finding Freedom, is a wake-up call to the reality of spiritual warfare and the power of prayer. 

Her recent book and accompanying 8-part Video Series, FOUND, will help you Discover the Power of Your True Identity www.loriehartshorn.com

{Our humble thanks to Word Alive Press for their partnership in today’s devotional.}