Wednesday, August 17, 2011

been meaning to share this!

Today is my first guest blog!

I loved this when it was shared with me, and I asked permission to share it with you.

I actually asked months ago - and he gave me immediate permission!  but i guess the time wasn't then.  its now

so i hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

******


Jesus Loves You, but...


Copyright (c) 2010 by Dann McCreary

It's not often that I sit down to write a devotional.. but here I go! I'm in New Hampshire for a few
weeks, working (thanks to my "portable office") and babysitting my brother's dog Koober.

During a work break, I thought I'd head to the Chocorua General Store on Route 16 to see if the
owner might be there. Maryanne and my wife Pam shared a hospital room in North Conway, where
our second son Christopher was born shortly after Maryanne's Kimberly. Sure enough, Maryanne
was there but she was helping some customers and didn't notice me come in. I proceeded to look
around the store, browsing while waiting for Maryanne to finish with the others.

I found a small oval ceramic plaque – blue lettering on an off-white background with a curly flower
motif below the lettering – that read as follows:

Jesus Loves You
but I'm His favorite.


Now, Pam will tell you that this is completely uncharacteristic of me; I immediately took the plaque
down off the wall and up to the front register where Maryanne was almost finished with her
customers, and after reminding her who I was (yes, I have greyed out considerably.. yes, the beard
is substantially longer,) I bought the plaque on the spot. After exchanging a few pleasantries, I left
and went back to work.

Strangely enough, I virtually NEVER make an impulse buy like that, especially not something cute
or decorative. Whatever could have possessed me to buy a knick-knack like that plaque?

During the last few years, I have simply felt so intensly loved by our Lord Jesus that I've found
myself being almost apologetic to my fellow believers, occasionally finding myself making
comments like "I don't understand why the LORD loves me more than you, but it's just obvious to
me that He does." I have watched in wonder as the LORD has so kindly and graciously resolved
issues that I had despaired of ever seing an answer to.

In reflecting on this, I recalled the Apostle John. When I was younger, I always wondered why it
was that, in the Gospel of John which he wrote, John never referred to himself by name. Rather than
saying "John" or "me," John spoke of himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." (See, for
example, John 19:5, 20:2, 21:7, and 21:20)

I am finally coming to this conclusion: the better we get to know the Lord Jesus, the more we will
all come to think of ourselves as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." I no longer wonder why John felt
that way. It was obvious to John that Jesus loved him more than all the rest! It is just as obvious to
me that John was wrong, because Jesus couldn't possibly love anyone more than He does me!

Sometimes Jesus' love is tough. Sometimes it's as gentle as a summer shower. How about you? Are
you "the disciple whom Jesus loves?" Wouldn't you like to be? Just get to know Him better, and
you'll soon find out that I'm wrong, that it's you He loves the most!

******



Of course Dann is wrong, He does love me the most :)
hehehehe

Le :)

4 comments:

  1. Both considerably wrong, He loves me the best!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Neener neener neener, I said it first... :)

    No, wait, I guess JOHN said it first... :)

    Thanks for reprinting my article Sweetie! :)

    -Dann

    ReplyDelete
  3. It would have been nice to see at least 50 or 100 more claiming the status!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. well - sorry to say that I have proof that He loves me best. He wrote it down for me.

    sorry for you both! :)

    ReplyDelete