Seek and You will find - a grandparents nightmare

One of our grandchildren has a toy elephant called Ellie. He's had her since birth and she goes everywhere with him. When he's tired he needs to hold her while he sucks two fingers. When he wakes up in the night reaching out to hold Ellie brings comfort. She is becoming ragged and worn. Her trunk is lacking in stuffing and well chewed. Ellie has been loved. Ellie is loved. 

So whatever happens you don't lose Ellie not if you want a happy little three year old. There have been times when he has been slipped into Jill's handbag and we find ourselves having to travel back to his house having dropped him off. Or a coat pocket to keep her safe and then we forget to hand back so another drive back. Or we lost her once as she slipped into a car side pocket and so again we rushed her back when he realised he no longer had Ellie.

In fact Ellie needs a tracking tag so we could always find her.

Well this past Wednesday we safely took our grandson and Ellie to pre-school where Ellie sits in a drawer till home time. Well she was left at pre-school once and the staff had to kindly go in at the weekend to find her. So while she is welcome to attend she stays in the drawer so to ensure she is not lost.

We then did pick up Wednesday afternoon. Out of pre-school he came holding Ellie.  I ensured as I sat him in his car seat Ellie sat on his lap. Door closed. We arrived home and out of the car he jumped to see the latest on our building work. 'Where's Ellie' I shouted to Jill and so began a game of hide and seek. Trying not to worry our grandson we found ourselves saying  'Ellie is hiding'. I turned the car upside down. Car seats came out , torch at the ready I searched and searched but no joy. Did we bring him home? You begin to doubt or 'Did she fall out of the car as I shut the door? So back to pre-school. Not in car park. Not in Pre school. So back home and again another search of the car by both of us. Then I searched again. 'I want my Ellie' said a little voice . We did our best to distract. But no joy and so we had to confess to his parents we had lost Ellie. We took grandson home and went back to pre-school just to check the grounds again. No joy. Well we tried and so we had to reconcile ourselves that Ellie was lost. But I knew she was in the car when we collected our grandson how could we have lost her? Well perhaps now is the time for him to move on from needing Ellie. But we felt bad.

Next day by chance we had agreed to collect grandson and dad from the local garage as son-in-laws car went in for some work. Grandson delighted to see us and carrying his spare Ellie but not the 'real' one. Everyone into the car and suddenly son-in-law shouts 'two Ellie's. There was the real Ellie. Oh joy but where had she been? Well it shows you have to think like a three year old. Neither I or Jill had thought to look behind the shelf that pulls down from the car seats. The real Ellie being so well worn is a bit thin and easily hid with the shelf up.

Why had I not asked our grandson to come and help find Ellie?

I think if I had taken him to the car and said where is Ellie? He would have just got her out and all that heartache would have not been required. 

Ellie number two in the hiding place.

Its amazing how some children invest so much in objects, toys, blankets etc. Yes there might be a time when he will need to not have Ellie but there is something delightful and special about a child loving a toy. 

It reminds me of that delightful story 'The Velveteen Rabbit' 

'What is real' asked the Rabbit to the old rocking horse.

'Real isn't how you are  made. It's when you are loved for a long long time.'

Parent God
thank you for coming 

to us in Jesus.
Looking for us,
searching us out
never giving up

even when we hide from you.

Thank you

for that loving

that has and is

making us real.

It's as if

the messiness

of our lives

don't matter.

You just love us

for us.

So when we hide

because we are ashamed

of what we have said

done

or not done

keep searching us out

and finally bring us home

into your eternal presence. Amen     (c) Mark Goodhand 31st March 2023