Hey gang: Time for a little evaluation from deep within the recesses of your heart. Eagle Village kids and ours had all been safely tucked into their beds and were in the arms of Morpheus and I was deep into completing the paper work for the day when I sensed a presence in the room. I turned to find one of the lads standing in the doorway.
I asked if he would like to come and sit on my lap for a moment or two before going back to bed. This he readily accepted. One did not have to be a brain surgeon to realize he had something very important on his mind.
After becoming securely tucked into my lap, he asked me a question that changed the total course of our work at the Village, a question I hear even today as I think of that encounter with a child who had a deep concern “Do you love me?” He was not interested in rhetoric that night but wanted to feel in his heart that I, indeed, meant what I said.
After taking a moment or two to answer this most important question, for I knew this was not rhetoric time but time for heart to heart communication, I said, “Yes, I love you show me how I can prove that to you”. Out of his heart came profound truth, “Help my mother”.
“I love you, do you love me?” The note was signed by God and delivered by His only Son. Do you think God was being vulnerable when he sent that message to His creation? I do!. Did He know how I would respond? I am not sure. But this I know He wanted me to know that His feelings for me would never change! He sent very clear messages that “Yes, He does indeed love me with an irrevocable love.”
Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” I sense that Peter may have been a wee bit quick and brash in his answer to that profound question. Peter tended to be quick and brash at times. Jesus asked the same question a second time, perhaps to get Peter to put his emotions aside and dig deep into his heart to see how very deeply he loved Jesus. And a third time, “Peter, do you love me?” Remember the question that night in my study from the heart of an eleven year old who was not sure if I loved him enough to pay the price of that love? Jesus responded, ”If you love Me, “Feed my sheep”.
Soooo, young warriors of Christ, Jesus is asking you this morning “Do you love Me”? Then “Feed MY sheep!” So how will you respond today? Not sure? Oh, it’s easy, “We love because He first loved us”
Blessings
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