DRUSILLA HALL God leads those who feel lost

Have you ever been lost?
I remember feeling lost. It happened on a bus trip from Atlanta, Ga., to Washington, D.C. I was traveling with a group of students to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the March on Washington that was led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1963.
Although I didn't know the other students, the trip began pleasantly enough. In fact, when we first reached Washington, I experienced a quiet thrill.
As we were leaving the bus, a young lady who had been sitting in the seat just in front of me said to the person who sat with her, "Coretta will be worried about me." I just stopped and stared. The only "Coretta" I had ever heard of was the widow of Dr. King. After some thought, I realized that I just rode a bus from Atlanta to Washington sitting in the seat behind one of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s very own daughters. This thought gave me a quiet thrill.
Unfortunately, this initial thrill was the high point of the trip for me. The first five minutes after leaving the bus, I realized that everyone was splitting up. I walked along in the crowd of people from all over the U.S.A., trying to stay near some of the people who had come to Washington on the bus with me.
But, one by one, I lost sight of them. I began to panic. Before we left the bus, I had expected that everyone would stay together as a group, so I had paid no attention to where the bus was parked, what our bus number was, or how we would all meet back together after the March ended.
But even as the feeling of panic began, I heard within myself words to counter the fear. I heard Psalm 23. "The lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures." As these words played in my mind, I looked over and saw groups of people reclining peacefully on blankets in the green grass. "He leadeth me beside the still waters," I heard within. Glancing over, I saw the still water of the Reflecting Pool that we were all marching along that day. Today I know that God was sending me a message that he would lead me. He was telling me that I did not have to be afraid.
I wish I could say that I acted on the message God sent to me that day, but I was too caught up in fear. Instead of spending the day enjoying my participation in the history-making event, I spent the day worrying about how I was ever going to make it back to Atlanta. Although I was in a crowd of more than 500,00 people, I felt alone and lost.
I was afraid, but God is faithful. He kept His promise to lead me. Near the end of the day, I saw a young man from the bus I rode on. He walked with me, and together we found our way back to the meeting place.
I found out that day that I can trust God to lead me when I feel lost. He led me even though I was afraid. If you ever feel lost, call out to God. He will meet you and lead you to a safe place. You can always depend on God.
XDrusilla L. Hall lives in Sharon, Pa., with her husband and their four children. The family attends the Church of God.