For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 ESV
I have rarely (Okay maybe never) shared an actual message from the nursing home. This week I am making an exception because I am hoping that the content give a helpful peek behind the curtain of life in long-term care. Some of the story is raw, because the problems, the struggles and the hurts are real, but God offers a sacrifice that came at a cost far more graphic and terrible because of His love! Each week we have 30 precious minutes, to sing, to pray, to preach and to visit. May this testimony be an encouragement and a blessing to any of you who dares to share the hope and grace of Jesus in a long-term care facility in your own community.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life John 3:16 ESV
Marie* wants to see you in the cafeteria after the message” they told me. Marie suffered from Parkinson’s Disease that often leads to depression, and that afternoon she was so depressed that she hadn’t come in for our song and prayer time at her nursing home. As I went in to sit with Marie, she began to cry and took hold of my hands blurting out, “God hates me!”
She felt isolated from the outside world, because no old friends ever came to visit, no family came for her birthday or Christmas. “What in the world can I say?” I wondered. What good news do I have to share with her?” Then I remembered the verse we all learn in Sunday School, and I said, “God loves you, Marie! Because the Bible says, ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…” At those simplest of words, Marie calmed, her face brightened, and she happily listened as I took my guitar back out of its case to sing her favorite hymn, “In the Garden”, and afterward we prayed together.
Maybe you aren’t in a facility, and don’t have Parkinson’s, but at some time in our lives we all face moments like Marie did. No one understands our hearts, and it feels as if God has turned His back or simply forgotten about us. In those darkest of moments, we have to remind ourselves that just as God did not forget Marie, He has also not forgotten us. Though we may not be the richest person in the world, we have its richest hope, because we have received the lavish gift of God’s love. We also need to remember that there are Marie’s and Bettys, Bob’s and Joe’s all around us every day. There are people we bump into at the store, on the street corners or even in our family, who desperately need to hear about the hope of God’s love. Yes, “God so loved the world!” So, why not pass that great hope of Jesus on to others today?
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 ESV
There are so many beautiful stories that surround Christmas. We see them in children’s pageants, and films, or read them in books and most of all in the Bible. But what if the wise men had never followed the star, or if after coming to Bethlehem, they decided not to give their gifts? What if the shepherds refused to go see the baby, or if there had been no manger for Jesus to be laid in? The answer is clearly that God would still have given his only Son.
But my problem with Christmas is that sometimes the people that I love, overlook, ignore and take that love for granted. I get discouraged and don’t understand why some folks just don’t get with the program. After all it’s Christmas! Then I remember that you and I are, more often than not, just like that with God. We forget that when Jesus came to the manger in Bethlehem, there wasn’t a secret escape clause tucked in underneath His swaddling clothes and His love wasn’t given with a contract obligation. Rather, Christmas came as an unexpected, undeserved and shocking display of God’s love, based entirely on grace. Now of course, those who never came: the Herrods, the religious leaders, and the inn keepers with no room, missed out on receiving that gift. But their absence in no way diminished the miracle. So, this Christmas, whether you are surrounded by family or feeling isolated or rejected, remember that Jesus came for isolated shepherds, rejected couples like Joseph and Mary, and He also came for you. He has not forgotten you. No matter what others do, we can simply bow before Him and trust that the response of others will be in His hands, who knows how to work all things together for our good. Then come and worship, come and worship. Worship Christ our newborn King!
praise2worshipdotnet 
You must be logged in to post a comment.