The Most Special Thing

If you are visiting my blog today by virtue of linking over from the Proverbs 31 Ministries Encouragement for Today devotion, then welcome! I hope you will continue to check back with me and share your comments and thoughts.

Last Sunday we were driving home from church, and my 9 year old son showed me the picture he had drawn in Sunday School. When I looked at it, I couldnt quite figure out what it was. Being the 100% little boy that he is, I at first thought it was an ordinary picture of a villain who had been slain, and a person with fire around them because they were near the little smiling sunshine.

But when I asked him to tell me about it, my heart swelled. See his picture below:

He went on to explain that his Sunday School teacher had told them to all draw something special that God had done for them. After he explained his picture, it made perfect sense.

The person laying horizontally at the bottom of the page, with x's on their eyes and their tongue sticking out, is a person who died (he said this is how everyone looks on cartoons whey they die). The angel above the person was that persons soul, who had turned into an angel, and was floating into heaven, because Jesus had died on the cross for his sins so that he could have eternal life. Wow.

Now if my teacher had asked me to think of something special Jesus had done for me, I probably would have pondered all kinds of things, such as my health, house, husband, healthy children, financial security, and any other blessings that I felt that God has bestowed upon me.

But in the mind of a child, the answer was quick and simple. Salvation, resurrection, and eternal life. How quickly we tend to forget that of all the great things that Jesus does in our lives, and all the blessings we have been given, pale in comparison to the most important thing He has done for us, which is offer His life for ours.

I want to challenge you today, friend. My P31 devotion today is about rejection - an ugly word that breaks hearts in two, sometimes beyond repair. I would imagine that every person reading this blog today has experienced rejection in their lifetime, from parents, friends, family and/or spouses, maybe all of the above. But I hope that you can smile today, when you remember that we do have hope - and just as my son so sweetly illustrated on his artwork, that hope is simple.

Salvation, resurrection, eternal life.

Our hope comes from knowing that no matter what happens earth, we have a loving Father who approves of us and loves us, despite our flaws, mistakes, insecurities or sins. He died for us - so that we can sprout wings one day and fly into the sunshine to be with Him.

If you are hurting today, let the sunshine shine on your face today, and ask God to fill your heart with an overwhelming feeling of peace and love that you could not obtain from anyone else. God loves you - and dont you doubt it for a moment!

His love is the most special thing we have ever received from Him, and nothing we do, and nothing anyone else says or does, can separate us from that gift. It is yours to keep forever.

Do you know Jesus as your personal Savior, the only one who truly accepts you and loves you unconditionally? If you are unsure, and you want to learn more about getting to know your heavenly Father, click here: Do You Know Him?