Lost and Found: The Story of a Father and Son’s Dilemma of Love, Trust, and Control.

Guidance is not a cage but a compass, leading to a life of wisdom, courage, and protection.

Mr. Adakole’s name was a byword for success. His wealth was the talk of the town. His home was a fortress of love, discipline, and wisdom. He was a father who gave freely yet guided strictly, believing in the power of rules to forge character.

Michael, his youngest, was a free spirit yearning to test the limits of his newfound adulthood. On his 18th birthday, his father shared a vital rule: “Always let me know where you’re going, Michael. It’s not to control you, but to ensure you’re safe, you know whose son you are, so not everyone wishes you well.” Michael nodded in agreement.

Michael knowing how wealthy his dad was, one day approached his father with a request. “Dad, I need my car, I no longer want to be driven around by your drivers. You know I am now an adult.”

Mr. Adakole looked at him thoughtfully. “Michael, you know I’m here to provide for you, but it’s not yet time for you to own one. Trust me, son.” He said this knowing how free-spirited and daring Michael could be. He knew Michael had to mature before handing him a car. He already had plans to get him the best of cars.

But some of Michael’s friends had other ideas. They enticed him with the lure of quick money, the key to his desire for a car. “Join us tonight, Michael No need to worry your old man, you are now an adult,” they said, their envy hidden behind smiles.

As the city’s lights dimmed, Michael ventured into the unknown with his friends, his heart racing with excitement. That night, for the first time, Michael broke his father’s rule. He didn’t message His dad on his whereabouts.

Excitement soon turned to terror as he found himself face-to-face with danger in the form of waiting cultists. His so-called friends had led him as a sheep taken to the slaughterhouse.

“Thought you could outsmart us? You’re in our world now,” the leader of the group jeered. Michael had refused their request for him to join them. He reported them to his dad who got them arrested. On their release, they vowed to kill Michael whenever they had a chance. They haven’t been able to carry out their plans because Michael always told his dad his whereabouts and his dad had people protecting him, sometimes even without his knowledge.

Fear surged through Michael. “I should’ve messaged Dad,” he realized, regretting his recklessness.

Just as the cultists got closer to him, the roar of engines and the glare of headlights announced Mr. Adakole’s arrival. “Back off,” he commanded, his security team flanking Michael like guardian angels. The cultists scattered in different directions fleeing for their lives.

“Why didn’t you tell me where you were going, Michael?” Mr. Adakole’s voice was stern yet filled with concern.

“I thought I knew better, Dad. I thought I could handle it,” Michael confessed, the weight of his mistake bearing down on him.

Mr. Adakole’s eyes softened. “I’m here to guide you, not to hold you back. Let’s go home, son.”

The lesson of the night was stamped deeply in Michael’s mind. In time, he grew to understand the wisdom in his father’s rules, He learned that guidance was not a cage but a compass, leading him to a life of wisdom, courage, and protection.

Have you ever thought about the story of the lost sheep in the Bible? Maybe it didn’t trust the shepherd to take care of it, or maybe it thought it could find greener pastures on its own. It might have been tired of waiting for what the shepherd promised.

Psalm 23 from the Bible tells us how good it is to have the Lord as our Shepherd. But we will only get the benefits if we listen and obey what the Shepherd says. He knows the best places to take us and what’s good for us.

God is like a Good Shepherd who loves us. He doesn’t tell us what to do just to control us; He does it because He cares. If you’re waiting for an answer to your prayers, keep trusting Him. He knows the right time for everything.

There’s always going to be the valley of the shadow of death, the enemy tries to lure us there on our own, without the presence of our Shepherd to protect us. If you’ve ever not obeyed and found yourself in trouble, don’t worry. Just like Michael’s dad saved him, God will come to find you. If you let Him, He’ll save you and make things right again.

John 10:27–28

[27] My own sheep will hear my voice and I know each one, and they will follow me.

[28] I give to them the gift of eternal life and they will never be lost and no one has the power to snatch them out of my hands.

Try reading Psalm 23 once more and think about it’s benefits from Michael’s story. What new things do you notice?