Do you have a hard time keeping up with things? I know I do. It has taken years to get into the rhythm of where I leave my keys, knife, and wallet at the house. It seems everytime I finally get it down, either we move or a piece of furniture moves!

Meredith and I don't have kids, but my sister does. Every summer we all take a trip together and we spend a day at the water park. WIth my niece and nephew, it means all of the adults (6 of us) are on zone defense. Man to man simply isn't enough. You got to double team them. I really started contemplating the idea of a kid leash this year.

When I was a kid my own parents left me at church. Since this was the days before cell phones, I simply went home with the nice women watching the nursery and at snacks. I thought I had hit the jackpot.

Kids have this innate ability to find their way to early freedom. If it's happened to you, you can relax. Even a young Jesus had the ability to sneak away and get Mary and Joseph all worked up.

Every year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. 42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. 43 After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn't miss him at first, 44 because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn't show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends.

45 When they couldn't find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. 46 Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. 47 All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

48 His parents didn't know what to think. "Son," his mother said to him, "why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere."

49 "But why did you need to search?" he asked. "Didn't you know that I must be in my Father's house?" 50 But they didn't understand what he meant.

51 Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart.

52 Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people. Luke 2:41-52

There is a bunch of stuff going on here, but I want us to just settle into those first words of Jesus. I've bolded them for you.

To Jesus, he was in the right place. Not just a place with good snacks, but the place where he was supposed to be. These few words give us a glimpse of all that is to come.

So let's get together and talk about leashes. The leashes we put on Jesus and the ways that he cuts them off us.