You and your family are on an outing to an amusement park. As you approach the entrance gates a nicely dressed young woman comes up to  you. She tells you that one of your three children will be kidnapped and that there is nothing you can do to prevent it. She also tells you that after three days the child will be returned to you unharmed. You quickly look around to make sure your children are with you. When you look back the young woman is gone and nowhere in sight. You and your spouse look at each other. Do you take her seriously? You both decide that it is a good idea to report it to the park authorities. After further consideration you decide that you and your family will go ahead with the outing but stick close to each other, after all your children are of the responsible ages of twelve, fourteen, and sixteen. As the day proceeds the young woman’s warning fades from your constant attention.  

Now it is evening and you all have had a good time. You join a small line at the gates to leave. With your children in front of you, your family exits the park. As you pull your daughter in for a quick hug, you turn to your spouse and jokingly state that this morning’s young woman must have been a little crazy. When you reach your car you have to settle a minor dispute between the two boys. As everyone begins to climb into the car, you are suddenly and terrifying aware that your 16 year old daughter is not with you. Frantically searching and calling you retrace your steps but she is nowhere to be seen and not even five minutes ago she was right there in front of you. You notify park authorities and the amber alert is spread. As the night progresses into the next morning the feeling of dread is matched only by the certainty of her absence. It is not until later that evening that you recall the young woman’s complete statement. “After three days and nights she will return unharmed”. In the midst of this dark nightmare hope dawns. All you have to do is endure another forty six hours. The battle between hope and despair rages yet you remember the young lady’s words. The last three hours are intense!  At the seventy two hour mark the door bell rings and there she stands. Safe. Whole. And O Lord! - she’s home!!!  It isn’t until a few days later that you realize how much the words spoken by that young woman gave you hope in the pit of despair.

If you know the end of the story then the darkness is some easier to endure. The beginning of the story is that I believe that He will save me. The end of the story is that I know that He has. There is a good possibility of disaster ahead. Time is critical. But a little foreknowledge gives you a lot of hope that the end will be better than the present looks. - (Unknown author)