John 3:16-18
“This is how much God loved the world: He
gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one
need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and
lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely
to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came
to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is
acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the
death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s
failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to
him.
Scripture quotations
from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene
Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All
rights reserved.
This
time of year makes me think of strawberries. They are now in season in
our neck of the woods…and stands with fresh Arkansas strawberries for
sale are starting to pop up in our area. Nearly 40 years ago, the
mother of one of my kindergarten students showed up one Friday afternoon
and presented me with a homemade fresh strawberry pie. It happened to
be Mother’s Day weekend, and she said, “You are momma to our kids all
week…I thought you needed a Mother’s Day present.” Every time I think
of strawberries – and Mother’s Day – I think of her and that delicious
pie.
This morning, my cousin Natalie sent me an e-mail with the
subject line: Surprise. The message said, “Olivia and Owen left you a
surprise on your bench. Happy Mother's Day! We love you!!!” I looked
out the window, and there on my front porch bench sat a glass vase
holding a dozen beautiful, deep red roses. This was indeed a
surprise…the best kind! I could almost hear the children giggle and see
their faces as their mother drove her vehicle into our driveway early
this morning. I could picture them as they stealthily placed the vase
on our porch bench and quietly crept back out of our neighborhood and
headed for school. And the love in that gesture was palpable.
This
afternoon, I read the post of an acquaintance on Facebook who said that
his mother has been celebrating Mother’s Day in heaven for 28 years
now. He noted how much he misses her…but he also thanked the
“divinely-inspired mothers” who have been there for him over the years –
and still are to this day.
I like the verse that reminds us that
God didn’t send Jesus to point his finger and accuse us of being evil.
Yes, we’ve all sinned…and Jesus died to absolve us. But His dying
words were not, “Do you see how despicable you are and what I’ve had to
endure for you?” Jesus NEVER EVER pointed a finger at us. He never
said, “This is all your fault!” This scripture passage tells us that
God could have found another way to show us how much He loved us. But
He sent Jesus to walk among us…to quietly teach us…to show us about
love, grace, mercy, forgiveness…and obedience.
God is using
ordinary people in our lives today to show us how much we are loved. He
is recognizing “mothers” who never birthed a baby. He is providing us
with teachers, guardians, caregivers, and friends who continually
nurture us, encourage us, and show us kindnesses out of love and care.
They do not do this with an accusatory demeanor or a scolding…but with a
quiet demonstration of God’s abiding care and affection. We have two
choices…we can recognize His presence in this form and accept this love –
or we can ignore it.
When we pay attention and find God in the
people, places and things that constitute our life as a whole, we are
richly blessed in ways both tangible and indefinable. When we recognize
and accept His love and care…and take it at face value without
attaching “strings” or our own interpretations and conditions…we are
assured a place in His presence for all eternity. But if we wander
through life in our own little world…skeptical of everything and
everyone who reaches out to us…cynical about most everything – and fail
to recognize God’s presence in our lives, we miss out on His amazing
blessings. And we pretty well ruin everything – in this life and
beyond.
I find God in some amazing places these days. Just this
morning, He shared His love with me through the surprise gift from three
of my favorite people! Every time I look at those roses, I think of my
precious cousins…and of Him. I hope that I never miss a visit from
God…that I am never too busy…too preoccupied…too suspicious of others’
motives or too distrustful to truly recognize His presence. When we
come to a place where we can find God in the small details…where we see
His love instead of reprimands and indictments…we have truly begun to
grasp the depths of His passion and tender heart for us.
Are
you truly seeing God today – even in something as obscure as a
strawberry pie or a vase of flowers? Is He using you to reveal Himself
to others? Do you know God in a way that has secured your place in
heaven someday? Aren’t these questions that need to be settled in your
life? Wouldn’t today be the perfect time to do exactly that?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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