Tuesday, April 15, 2008

The great caregiver

Today’s Reading: John 11:1 (NIV)

1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.

Good morning!

Have you ever gotten sick really quick? Jeff and I took his folks out for Sunday dinner after worship. I ordered a Cobb salad. It looked good. Unfortunately, I had an almost immediate adverse reaction to the salad dressing. Not even thirty minutes after I finished my meal, I went from feeling pretty good to thinking, “I’m going to see Jesus now.” After spending a good twenty-four hours in the master bathroom hugging a trash can to my chest and promising I will never eat a Cobb salad ever again, I am crawling back into the land of the living. No one I know enjoys being sick. It is a part of our humanity. At some point, all of us will face a time when our health is not at its optimum, and we will find ourselves in dire need of divine help.

It takes a whole lot of love to care for someone who is really sick. Isn’t it amazing how little children can become ill in a moment’s notice, and then simply move on to something else? Our grandson Andrew was sitting on his mother’s lap yesterday, playing happily, when suddenly and without warning, managed to lose his lunch all Mommy. After making this unexpected deposit, Andrew took off crawling, laughing and playing like nothing had even happened. Rachel, on the other hand, had to go change her clothes, wash up, and try to move past this little life event. Moms have a way of modeling unconditional love, especially in those unexpected, stinky moments of each day.

Lazarus was Jesus’ friend. He was really sick and near death, but his sisters truly believed if the Lord would come, Lazarus would recover. There is just something about being in the holy presence of the Savior that heals us. We cannot help but feel better when we know He is right here. Like a loving parent who stays up all night rocking a feverish child, Christ holds the sick in His nail-scarred hands, comforting the suffering especially in these wretched moments of pain and anguish.

I have good news to tell you! If you are feeling sick today, you do not have to go it alone. If you ask Him, the Lord who loves you more than life itself will be right there with you, holding you close. Jesus lives, and because He lives, He will stay with you even in the midst of your suffering and pain. If you ask Him to, the great caregiver will see you through this sickness. Just look into His face and cry out His name. He loves you so very much! You do not have to bear your burden alone.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

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© Copyright 2008, Deb Spaulding

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