Joesph and Mary were a days journey away back  to Jerusalem before they noticed Jesus wasn't with them.  >Luke 2:42-45<   They just assumed he was, and headed back with the group. You almost know for sure that once Mary and Joesph were out of sight people were probably saying things like; what kind of parents would leave their child behind without checking to make sure he was with us first before we left?  My God that's terrible.  What in the world are those two thinking doing something like that?  etc.  Have you ever taken off on some project assuming you had Jesus approval when you didn't?  Last year I did some volunteer work for an organization call little brothers of the elderly.  You've heard of big brothers?  this is just the same only we visited and made friends with the elderly who were lonely. They would match you up with someone who had the same likes & dislikes as you,  and you would take them places like the zoo or different places  around the City.  They matched me up with a guy name Robert who use to run a liquor store in Mpls  called zips with his brother. There's a good chance Robert or his brother waited on me years ago because I use to buy my liquor there from time to time.  Roberts brother was shot and killed by a guy who robbed the place but I can't remember what year it was. What I do remember is the pain I and my family went through when my brother Joe was killed back in 1994. He was only 33 years old.  I remember thinking God, why did you let this happen?  You could stopped this. Something like that can shake your faith up real good.  But Robert an I had a lot in common.  About two months into my volunteer work we all got an email  from the local little brothers center that they would be changing their volunteer work and would be serving strictly the LGBT community starting sometime in October.  I was angry. I've got nothing against gays but why single them out and exclude the rest of the old folks?  I asked the other volunteers what they were going to do,  some would stay, and some would go. I would honor my three month commitment with them,  but after that would have to leave.  As a Christian I couldn't volunteer for a LGBT organization and keep a clear conscience. I rushed into this thing without praying about it first.  I figured why pray?  Why wouldn't the Lord want me to do this?  I rushed into it and left Jesus behind.  Nothing good came out of this whole thing and had I prayed first I probably could have avoided a lot of nonsense.  Like Joesph and Mary I took off on and left Jesus behind.  It's another lesson I learned the hard way. Pray first, then proceed.   P.S. I'll bet I'm not alone on this.     >Be Blessed<