Apron Strings Devotional for11/25/03

11/25/03

Good Morning....
Jesus loves You!!

+†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+

EYES OF PAIN

My three year old little girl fell off the bed last night. I heard Jamie's cry and sprinted in the direction of the wails. When I reached her, I saw such pain in her eyes and I knew she was injured. I enveloped her in my arms and examined her all over. It appeared that she fell against a chair and it caught her in the side.

As I reflected on the incident early this morning, the thing that stuck out the most in my mind, was those eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes were full of pain. A mother can tell when her child is in pain. The clue is in their eyes. The eyes speak when the mouth cannot utter words. The mouth is too busy allowing the sobs to come forth. I held her. I comforted her. I kept an eye on her. She is fine now, save a scratch and a bruise. But it hurt. And she felt it. When I woke up this morning, it was the first thing that came to my mind. Then, for some reason, I thought of the cross. That horrible cross. That awesome cross. A symbol of death, sacrifice, and yes, pain. We don't like to think about that part often. We say, almost gleefully, that Jesus died for us on the cross. We rarely take the cost into account. It is a joyful thing to know that the debt for my sin is paid. But I still need to remember what it took and how much it cost.

Why does God allow pain, anyway? Why can't we just sail through life without that thorn? And what's this stuff in the Bible that says if we suffer, we will reign with Him? ( 2Tim 2:12 ) What's that all about? No one wants to suffer.

One thing that I don't invite into my life on an intentional basis, is pain. Yet it comes. It shows itself in different forms. Sometimes it comes in an emotional package and other times it reveals itself in a physical manner. Sometimes I have to walk through it for what seems an eternity and sometimes it doesn't last very long. I'll bet you and I could spend a fortnight swapping pain scenarios, but then again, there are some pains we'd much rather forget.

My son Noah, almost 7, came up to me yesterday and said, "Mom, Sam ( his brother ) said that I wouldn't die on the cross if I was Jesus!" It was obvious to me that Noah thought Sam was sadly mistaken. As I was opening a cabinet in the kitchen, I answered soberly, "You probably wouldn't." Those big brown eyes bore into me with a serious expression. "Huh? Then, almost defensively, he blurted, "Yes I would!" I turned to face him and asked, "Would you really? Would you readily give your life for someone who might not appreciate it, or even care?" He answered with great confidence, "Yes!" Then I realized, even though he might rethink it if he were actually put to the test, that in that one moment, my son had the mind of Christ.

I can only imagine what was going through my Savior's mind when he walked that road toward Calvary. I remember the scene in the garden before that moment, when he sweated great drops of blood just thinking about it. But, if you read the rest of the story, he got up with great resolve and determination, because more than anything, He wanted the Father's will. No matter the cost. No matter the pain. It was to be done and labeled finished. My sins hanging there with my God and my Lord. Yes, He died for me. And for you. But what a price He paid. What a sacrifice It hurt. It was excruciating. Each blow forcing holes into His hands and feet, and all for us. Have I gotten so callous in my thinking that I just shut out the thought of His pain and think about the good part? What is the good part? Because of Him, I am redeemed and considered a new creation. Because He chose His Father's way, I am saved from hellfire and condemnation. That's the good part. But Lord, please don't let me forget the pain.

As I reflect on my sweet Jamie's eyes so full of pain, let me remember those precious eyes of Jesus that must've expressed a greater pain. Lord, why would You do this? Because greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. ( John 15:13 )

Okay, I get it now. Jesus + cross + pain = LOVE. What an equation! What a God. Thank you Lord, for laying your life down for me, even though it was the way of pain. Don't let me forget the pain, but more than that, help me to remember to walk in the same love you walked in on that dusty road. I love you so much but it is quite obvious that you love me more. My dad used to say, "I love you so much it hurts me." I wonder if he picked that line up from Jesus. Yes, I do believe he did.

+†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+
God Bless you all, and remember:
Jesus loves you and I do too!

In Christ!!
Carol Skipper
Justaservn@aol.com

I have now deleted the Art4Christ site. Get Free Graphics here.
The Handmaidens site is still up but no longer active.
This is also true of the Web4Christ and Host4Christ sites.