Twenty-five years ago, I left my parents a note telling them I didn’t want to be a burden anymore. Then I threw some clothes in a backpack, skipped probation, and fled to Mexico.

My life was disintegrating around me. I was living as a fugitive, trapped in addiction to alcohol and meth. I had lost custody of my only son. Then, my leg was amputated due to complications from spina bifida. I could see no further reason to live.

One afternoon, while lying on a deserted beach, I saw two figures walking toward me. The beach was usually empty, which made it strange. I shielded my eyes from the sun and watched as the men drew closer.

One of them was very tall with white hair. Then I saw his smile—wide as the ocean. Dad! I sat up on my beach towel, struggling to believe my eyes.

How had he found me? I hadn’t told anyone where I was going. But my dad had searched apartment buildings across Tijuana until he discovered where I was staying. The manager had seen me walking toward the beach that morning and offered to help find me.

To reach that beach, my dad had to climb a steep cliff covered with jagged rocks. I didn’t know then that he was dying of cancer. But he made that climb anyway, for one lost daughter who had told him not to come.

“Julie, I love you. Won’t you stop running? Come home,” he begged tearfully. But I resisted his love and stayed.

My dad died six months later. I attended his funeral in the US and then, still weighed down by grief and hopelessness, returned to Mexico with a plan to end my life. But my heavenly Father came running after me (Luke 19:10) and arrested me with His love. I finally surrendered my life to Him in a federal prison in San Diego. (You can read my story in Issue 2, 2026.)

One day, while reading my old journals, I sensed God whisper, “Julie, your father searched relentlessly for you when you were lost. That’s what I’ve done for you too.”

Suddenly, the story Jesus told in Luke 15:4–6 became very real. Verse four says: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?”

The shepherd didn’t settle for the 99. He searched until he found the lost one. And when he did, he carried it home with joy—not shame.

That’s what the Good Shepherd does. Jesus crosses borders, climbs cliffs, and goes to far-off lands to bring one home. He even laid down His life for His sheep (John 10:11).

If you are wondering if God really loves you, the answer is yes. A thousand times, yes.

God is not standing at a distance, shaking His head and pointing His finger at you. He is leaving the 99 and running toward you. And He will go to the darkest places on earth to bring you home. The question is, will you stop running and return home with Him?

Sometimes we believe our failures, addictions, shame, or pain have disqualified us from being found by God. We convince ourselves we are too broken, too far gone, or too difficult to rescue.

But Jesus is still the searching Shepherd. He still climbs impossible places. He still pursues wandering hearts. His love and mercy never run out.

And He’ll still leave the 99 to find the one that is you.

Consider: Have you ever felt too far gone, broken, or ashamed to believe God would pursue you? Why? What can Julie’s father’s search for her teach you about God’s love for you? Are you still running from Him? What might change if you stopped resisting His love and went home to Him?

JULIE SEALS is an ordained minister and evangelist who speaks in churches, women’s events, rehab facilities, jails, and prisons worldwide. She is the creative content manager for Victorious Living. Her book, All My Hope: A Prisoner No More, is available on Amazon. Learn more at julieseals.com.