Your Picture

I know that some of you are going through difficult and trying times right now. Perhaps you have lost your job or are losing your home to foreclosure. Perhaps you have lost a loved one to death, a loved one to divorce or a loved one to drugs and alcohol. Perhaps you are losing your health or your memory or, it seems, your sanity.

 

As bad as things get, please remember the apostle Paul’s words to the Romans: “God shows His own love for us in this: while we were still sinner, Christ died for us” (5:8).

It was about 25 years ago that a woman found herself dying of AIDs. She had been a faithful wife, but she had been married to an unfaithful husband. As was the case back then, her reputation was ruined, and she found herself deserted by her friends and most of her church. One day her loneliness was broken by a visit by the hospital chaplain.

She wanted him to provide something she could hold on to. She wanted that, but in reality she felt there was little the chaplain -- or anyone else -- could do to bring comfort. Everything about her showed she felt unloved, forgotten and hopeless.

As he was listening, the chaplain noticed a small, silver-framed picture of a pretty girl on the woman's dresser. Finally, during a break in the woman's telling of her woes, he asked, "And who is this?"

For the first time, the woman's face brightened. "That's Teri, my daughter. She's the only beautiful thing left to me."

The chaplain asked, "Would you still call Teri your daughter if she was in trouble ... maybe bad trouble ... maybe trouble so bad so none of her friends talked to her or wanted to spend time with her? Would you still love her?"

The woman shot back: "Reverend, what kind of question is that? Of course, I would love her. She's my daughter. I'm her mother. If everyone else left her, that's when she would need me the most."

In a voice not much louder than a whisper, the chaplain said: "My question was a hard one, but I wanted to hear your answer. You see, I want you to know that God has your picture on His dresser too."

Then he explained to her, just as I'm explaining to you, that when no one else cares, God continues to love.

Even if you are unimportant to the rest of the world, you are still incredibly important to your Father. Even if you feel like there is nothing special about you, you are special your Brother, Jesus. Even if you often feel weak and doubting in your faith, you receive strength from your Holy Spirit. You are so important and special to your heavenly Father, that He let His only Son live and die for you. You are so important and special to your Brother, Jesus, that He sends His Holy Spirit to strengthen your faith through Word, Water and Supper.

No matter what you are going through, there is hope, there is help, there is love. For your God cares for you and Jesus has put your picture on His dresser.