chrisine

1 John 3:1 says, "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him." Last night David and I had the honor to go to the home of Jiggs and Peggy Harper Rigginsto give a devotion to some of the kids representing their school on Student Council. The Executive Board of our High School's Student Council had spent all day learning leadership skills. At the very end of the day's activities the students were asked to give something that meant a lot to them to another member. I must admit even as I was helping Hannah get hers ready, we didn't understand the task completely. We chose her Bible and bookmark that she had with her brother's obituary printed on it, because it is through those words that she is finding comfort in JD's death. As we were sitting there and I watched these children talk about their item with heartfelt emotions; some with tears falling down their faces; I realized they wanted them back. It was theirs, and who could blame them? My devotion quickly started changing in my head as I thought of the sacrifice God gave. He watched His only Son die on the cross for our sins, so that we may live with Him where there will be no more sorrow, no more tears and no more burdens. Then, of course, my mind went to my gift that I had to give away, my JD. "I can't get him back", I said to these children. I began feeling like the children were "caught between two stools." They knew the right thing to do would be to give the gift away, but it was hard to part with it. I was torn about having to give up my gift even though I know that it is what had to be done. And then it hit me "like a ton of bricks". What an extraordinary love must our Father have for us to "lavish" us with such love and grace, even when we are most selfish, so that we could be called His children? God calls us, as Christians, to be different and not to conform to this world; and to give up our worldly lives to glorify His name. As Hannah's parent sitting there, it broke my heart! These are good kids but they are caught up in a world where the majority of it does not know God. They are torn and confused. I saw them battling with "enemies" and "foes" in their lives, because they are afraid to be different. They live in a selfish world that does not "lavish" people with grace and love. They live in this place because of exactly what God's word says, the world does not know Him. If our world knew God, our kids would have been more willing to share of themselves without selfishness or embarrassment being a problem. We have got to be more like our Father. We have got to give as He gives to us. We have got to show our children God. We have got to begin today and be a sanctuary for our Lord in hopes that the world will know Him. He gave the ultimate gift for us. Can't we give of ourselves for Him? If not for us but for our children, because we all know that they are our greatest gift; just as Jesus was His. Don't we want to know that our children will be resting in the arms of our sweet Savior one day? It sure has given our family peace knowing that JD is doing just that. He is resting in His arms, and because we believe God's word; we will be resting with our Comforter and our JD again. I challenge myself and you to "lavish" someone with love and grace today, just as our Father has done for us.