Just Another Child Living In The Shadows

I was having lunch at a rib joint in Plainfield when I noticed them come in.

A young man, twenty-something, with a cute little curly-haired brunette who must have been about five years old. They sat down about 20 feet away, at a corner booth close to the exit, near a window that looked out onto the parking lot.

The little girl reached down into the large brown grocery sack she had carried in with her and pulled out a doll and a coloring book. She sat next to dad and showed him some pictures she had been working on.

He had his left arm around her, and she was cuddled up against his chest, talking and pointing out details of special interest in the masterpiece she had been coloring.

Dad looked tired. He nodded and smiled, and while he seemed to be enjoying this father-daughter bonding, there was a strain in his expression that revealed he was not 100% in the moment.

When the waitress came to their table, she fussed over the little girl, who really was just as cute as a 5-year-old girl can be, and also was drawn into the discussion about the coloring book.

I didn't pay much attention to them after that, since I had a serious plate of ribs to devour, but after my meal I noticed that they were both looking out the window. Just then a red Dodge Charger pulled into the parking lot. Dad and daughter hugged, and he sat her down in the booth, and motioned for her to wait.

As he walked outside to the car, the woman driving it rolled down her window. He stopped a few feet away from the car and bent down to speak with her. Her left arm was gesturing impatiently through the open window, and he was holding his hands out, in a pleading gesture, making his case.

The little girl stood motionless in her booth, her back to me, her hands and face pressed against the glass, watching the discussion in the parking lot. The doll and coloring book were forgotten on the table.

What was she thinking as she watched mom and dad arguing outside? How much of her short life had she lived in the shadow of adult conflicts that she could never understand? How much time did she get to spend with her dad, and when would she see him again? What options for her life were being negotiated at that meeting, on that hot asphalt lot, by the two people she needed most in the world?

Finally the discussion was over. Dad walked slowly back into the restaurant. As he approched the booth, he looked sadly at the little girl and shook his head "no." Her shoulders slumped, but he quickly swooped her up and gave her a huge, rocking hug.

He stood there a bit, just hugging her. She was whispering something into his ear. Then he set her down. He bent down and kissed her forehead. She put her doll and coloring book back into the big brown bag.

Dad walked her out to the car, gave her one last hug, and then helped her get buckled into the back seat.

In an instant, the red Charger was gone.

The Nicest God You'll Ever Meet

It happened again not too long ago.

I was talking with my Uncle Ron, a man in poor health, who admits he doesn't have long to live. We had been discussing matters of his estate, and he had explicit requests for how he wanted his affairs to be settled after he died.

Towards the end of this conversation, I said, "You've put a lot of thought into how you want your assets disposed of, but you still haven't taken care of your soul. Aren't you worried that you're not ready to face God?"

In my capacity as family "Jesus-freak" I have had numerous spiritual conversations with my uncle, and many other relatives, and while they politely tolerate me, I never seem to quite get through. I fully realize that the "getting through" part is up to the Holy Spirit, but still it can be discouraging when you keep pitching but no one seems to be catching.

Uncle Ron looked at me and said, "I know what you're saying is true, but I'm just not ready yet."

"Uncle," I said, "You've got one foot in the grave and the other one on a banana peel! How close do you want to cut this thing?"

"I'm just not ready," he said, "I've still got some things I want to do."

I've heard this line of reasoning before, and it never ceases to amaze me. People will talk about "getting right with God" someday in the distant future, once they have "enjoyed" their life and there is nothing left to live for. Where do people get this idea that becoming a Christian means the fun of living is over? How does becoming a child of the King of the Universe translate into a life of drudgery and boredom?

Part of it, of course, is just the lie that the devil plants into our sinful hearts: the lie that serving God is for chumps; that you have to be "free" to live your life any way you see fit if you want to be happy. We all buy into that philosophy easily enough, since it perfectly suits our selfish inclinations.

Another part of the problem is the way we in the church behave sometimes. I am acquainted with a lot of wonderful Christian brothers and sisters who express the joy of Christ in their day to day lives, and are fun people to hang with, simply because they have the love of God in their hearts and a real zest for living.

But there are far too many judgmental, condescending, uptight, unhappy and boorish Christians who may be impressed with their own piety, but don't do much of a job of advertising the love of Jesus to the people around them.

Speaking for myself, I can only say that my life never really began until the day I surrendered my life to God. I wouldn't trade my worst day as a Christian for my best day as a heathen. Finding the love and mercy of Jesus was the best thing that ever happened to me. You couldn't pay me enough to ever go back to my old life. Until I met God, I never knew what living really was.

Do you want to know real peace? Do you want to lay down at night in contentment, knowing that the maker of the universe is watching over you? Do you want to really enjoy the life you are living? Do you want to discover the meaning of your life, and experience a love that surrounds you and cherishes you? Do you want to truly know, in the depths of your soul, that God has forgiven you and loves you and will NEVER let you go?

The only way to know these things is to surrender your life to Jesus, and make him your Lord and Savior.

If you are putting off an encounter with Jesus because you have "some things you want to do" that you think are more important than meeting God, you have some seriously whacked-out priorities in your life. Get on the clue bus, Bubba!

Life is passing you by, and the devil is laughing behind your back. Every day that he can keep you away from God means you are one day closer to the possibility of spending eternity in hell - all because you think you can do better on your own.

There is nothing better than knowing God. There is no way to fulfill your purpose in life until you have put Jesus in charge of it. Forget every pre-conceived notion you have ever had. Forget your pride. Put aside your irrational fears and just come to Jesus, right now, the way you are, and let Him show you how much He loves you.

He truly is the nicest God you'll ever meet.