Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Devotional -Snapshot 23 - Grandpa Letter

July 4, 2000

"The world is not necessary to God in the same way God is necessary to the world." William Temple Devotional Classics

"...that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus." Philemon :6


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Dear Granddad,

I had a disturbing dream last night. I was visiting you in the hospital. You were sick and weak.

You did not want to be in a room so you were lying on the floor in the hallway with only a sleeping bag for padding. There was a plain wooden shelf at your feet. Besides the bare walls and the passing nurses, that's all you had to look at.

"At least," I thought, "I can put something pretty on the shelf - a bouquet of flowers, pictures, something to brighten up your dreary spot."

Now mind you, you did not seem that perturbed by your surroundings. You were rather disinterested except to make some sort of a grumpy comment here or there which nobody really listened to.

The next day I came back to place some fragrant flowers on your book shelf and it was gone! Someone had taken it and now you lay alone in the hall staring at the ceiling. Hopelessness and sorrow overwhelmed me for you. I sat down beside you and began to cry.

You touched me and said, "What's the matter do you miss your church?" I was startled that you were making contact with me. I did not think you were aware of my presence. Your voice had tenderness and compassion in it. I was moved by your question and it dawned on me that all those years of witnessing to you was just talk about another nice religion, a social club, a moral way to live, a code of ethics --not Jesus - my life, my friend, my salvation, my very breath, my joy, my purpose - the living Jesus, my God Almighty.

No, I wasn't missing church, I wasn't even thinking about it. I was weeping for you because you were dying alone and without Jesus!

"Oh Granddad," my throat constricted and my tears flowed freely, "Oh Granddad, you need Jesus." I cried over and over again, "You need Jesus."

When I woke up from that dream, real tears and a heavy heart greeted me with the sun rise. I wanted to take you in my arms and hug you tight and tell you I love you ... but yes, it is true, you need Jesus.

It is never too late to become a child of God, to ask Christ to forgive you for your sins, to tell Him you believe in Him. He is both kind and severe. Kind to those who have received His love and mercy, who have believed on His name; severe to those who reject Him. Romans 11:22

It's not about church, Granddad, it's about Jesus.
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Write down some things God has done in your life. Pray for boldness and opportunity to share these with someone. Or is there a letter you need to write?

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