A couple years ago, I took my grandsons, Evan (5 y.o.) & Carter (4 y.o.), to visit my mother-in-law ("G-G" to them) who lives in a local senior center.
I told the boys how happy old people are to see little guys. I described to them how these old, sad, depressed faces would change to happy and smiling faces when they saw them.
"Those old folks will 'come alive' because you boys are so special! You just watch!" I said.
Sure enough! Resident after resident began talking, smiling, stopping the boys to interact with them. In fact one man was so overcome that he had to try to hold himself back from trying to hug them and squeeze them.
So after we made it through the "gauntlet" of popularity, we visited with G-G, taking her to the ice cream parlor as usual.
As we were driving back to my house, here's the conversation we had in the car:
Me: "Didn't I tell you? You boys are very special!"
Carter: "That boy (pointing to Evan) isn't special! "
Me, somewhat taken aback but figuring it was the usual sibling stuff: "Oh, but he is special!"
Carter: "But he's mean to me!"
Me: "That doesn't mean he isn't special...that just means he's not acting like the special boy that he really is!"
As I drove on that day, I reflected how this is a perfect illustration of our lives as believers.
We are such special people because God has made us so. We are...
children of our Abba Father God,
brothers & sisters of our Brother, King Jesus,
one with the Triune God through the indwelling Holy Spirit.
But rather than letting the living, indwelling Lord Jesus Christ live though us as us, we, more often than we like to admit, chose to live from the deadness of our flesh.
How sad...actually tragic!
Brothers and sisters, let's live from the fullness of Him who made us special. Amen!
See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! 1 John 3:1a NLT
...this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory. Colossians 1:27 NLT
I have been crucified with the Anointed One—I am no longer alive—but the Anointed is living in me;
and whatever life I have left in this failing body I live by the faithfulness of God’s Son,
the One who loves me and gave His body on the cross for me. Galatians 2:20 VOICE
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,
and in Christ you have been brought to fullness.
He is the head over every power and authority. Colossians 2:9-10 NIV
