A recent article in the New York Post tells the story of a 22-month-old child in Kentucky gone missing on Mother’s Day found alive after three days in the woods. The boy, Kenneth Howard, vanished from his home on Sunday and spent 60 hours alone in the wilderness before being found by state troopers in relatively good condition despite his exposure. Authorities, the parents, and the sister of the little boy all credited the find to God.
At the end of a three-day search by multiple agencies and 300 volunteers, rescuers heard the boy crying and found him sitting on a 50-foot rock ledge only 2,000 feet away from his home. He was evacuated by helicopter to a nearby hospital where he was treated for dehydration and exhaustion. One of the rescuers could not help but claim that, “God led us in the hands and to move that way.”
How Kenneth disappeared is still under investigation, but it is believed that he may have walked out the back door while his father was in the front yard. While Kenneth was missing, hundreds of people gathered to show their support for the family in prayer and song on the boy’s behalf. One group was urged by their pastor to pray hourly for little Kenneth until he was found. What made the incident even more miraculous, as one of the state troopers shared, is that there is a lot of wildlife in the area that could have endangered the child.
Finding little Kenneth Howard is a testimony to God’s intervention and what prayer can do. Far too often, when such happy endings occur, we hear of how ‘lucky’ someone was, but it is refreshing to hear the people directly involved attribute the finding the child to God. This story is a reminder to all of us that God is able to help in time of need. However, let’s not wait until we have need. Let’s be thankful for our blessings and glorify God every day.