Think About It…

“Thank God for fleas and flu and most of all for you!”

My wife is always after me to have a clever attention getting title for my sermons and articles. If fleas and flu won’t get your attention then I don’t know what would.

One chapter in the book “The Hiding Place” is “Thank God for fleas.” She praises God for the fleas that were so terrible that the guards would not come into the area. The flea infestation allowed her and others to study God’s word and to pray & fellowship without fear of being exposed by the cruel guards.

Susan and I were privileged to be foster parents of a special little boy named Adam. He spent a couple of years with our family. This little guy had a really tough time in life and came to us very damaged emotionally and physically. He was unable to allow us to love him. If we tried to hug him or kiss him he would stiffen up and never respond positively. This rejection went on for several months.

During a visit to our house by my sister-in-law, one of her children came down with the flu. Her child was so sick that Jana spent most of the day sitting in a rocking chair holding her son and loving him. Adam was watching all of this but made no comment. A few days later, Adam began to show signs of also having the flu. We were upset and Jana felt bad knowing that her son had passed the flu on to Adam. But soon we saw evidence of God’s faithfulness. Just as God had promised (Romans 8:28) this flu was about to be used by him as a way to break down Adam’s wall of anger, mistrust, and fear. He became so sick that for the first time he allowed Susan to hold him and rock him and LOVE him. After he got well, we noticed that from time to time he would stop whatever activity he had been in and come over to Susan and/or me and just give or get a hug. Then he would return to his playtime. He just needed a little reassurance.

In Luke 15 we find another boy that Satan had abused. Verse 17 tells us that this man “came to his senses.” He then decided to go home. Verse 20 tells us “while he was still a long way off his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him and ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” What a beautiful picture of God’s love!

I wonder if the son woke up the next day and asked himself will Dad still love me today. Will he love me if I make a mistake or disappoint him in some way? Will he love me if I’m not as good a worker as my big brother? What will happen if Dad finds out about something I did in the past?

Then dad comes into the room, walks over, and gives his son another big hug of (re) assurance and the son’s fears are put to rest. It is only after many hugs and kisses that reassurance is replaced with “Blessed Assurance Jesus is mine”. But the father knows this and is willing to patiently develop his son’s assurance.

May we become a people that love the unloved, assure the insecure and hug & kiss those who fear rejection the most?

“God loves you and so do I”

“God loves you and so do we”

God loves you!

Brother Dave