Thursday, January 14, two-year-old Noah Israel Chamberlin disappeared in the Pinson, Tennessee woods surrounding his grandmother’s house. According to reports, Noah’s grandmother had taken him and his four-year-old sister out for a nature walk when the boy wandered away. If you are from Tennessee, I doubt that I have to relay this tragic story to you.
From day one of Noah’s disappearance, search and rescue teams, both law enforcement and civilians, were sent into the woods to find him — the community was hopeful. Although the little boy was from Pinson, people from all over the Tennessee area had him in mind and in prayers. The news spread quickly as people reacted with great emotion towards the terrifying situation.
By day two, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) had taken lead role in the investigation. More volunteers offered their time, efforts, and supplies to aid in the search. Some volunteers arrived in the early morning and didn’t leave until after dark. After volunteers were sent home for the night, Law enforcement officials continued the search into the next morning.
As the days continued to pass, the support for Noah and his family continued to grow. Tennessee law enforcement officials, TBI, FBI, and civilians all came together, sharing their resources, to help find this precious child.
On Wednesday, January 20, the community gathered together at Chester County High School to lift little Noah up in prayer — for the first time in a very long time, (maybe for the first time ever in West Tennessee history), hundreds of people gathered in one place to pray together in solidarity.
Finally, on Thursday, January 21, the body of young Noah was found.
From day one, it all seemed so hard to believe. As a Christian, I asked myself why. I asked God why. I prayed for Noah the first night he went missing and I asked God how He could let something like this happen to such an innocent little boy. I told God that a two-year-old didn’t deserve this; that he still had a life to live. I argued that this little boy deserved to have the chance to make a difference in the world, to impact the lives of those around him. I told God that this little boy should have the opportunity to change the world. As I prayed my thoughts and feelings to God, asking him to give Noah this chance, I was left unanswered.
As the days passed and the search for Noah continued, the little boy never left my mind. I thought of him throughout the day, prayed for him with each thought, and constantly checked social media for updates — hoping and praying each time that he had been found. Each check was met with disappointment and answered with more prayer.
Finally, seven days later, Noah’s body had been found. Again, I turned to God and prayed. I prayed for Noah’s family and then asked God again, how He could have let this little boy leave this earth without allowing him the chance to impact the world — to leave his footprints behind. That’s when God answered. He reminded me how people in the community reached out to help search for Noah. He reminded me how tirelessly law enforcement officials worked on finding Noah, refusing to give up the search until he was found. He brought to memory all of the organizations that came together, government and civilian alike; all of the ways people showed support for Noah and his family on social media; and just how many people were keeping this young boy and his family in their thoughts and prayers.
That’s when I began to understand. For seven days straight, the community was focused on Noah and determined to find him. Everywhere I went, people were talking about the search for Noah, ways their church was contributing to the search efforts, how they had been praying for Noah and his family. For seven days, I was amazed by the way the West Tennessee community came together, worked together, and prayed together.
The truth is, Noah brought this community together in a way it has never been joined together before. Noah may not have lived what we call a long life, but he lived a full life. He did make a difference. I never had the chance to meet Noah, but I prayed for him, and I cried for him. The thought of him being lost from his family weighed heavily on my heart and turned me to The Lord in prayer, as it did countless others.
For seven days I prayed for him. I imagined what a happy boy he must have been. I pictured a little boy, full of life and energy; a child full of wonder and curiosity. I could envision him running across his yard, playing with his sister; I could picture him in the warm embrace of his parents. All of these images of Noah brought me to my knees before The Lord even more. These thoughts strengthened my desire to have him found, and brought me before The Father’s throne daily. I never knew Noah, but my heart was broken for him. This is the footprint that he left on my heart.
He may have been only two, but his life touched more people in seven days than I have had the chance to meet in 20 years. His life was beautiful. He did make a difference in the world. And he did leave his footprints in hearts all over West Tennessee.
