Daniel Howell

Let me start with yesterday.

The night before last was something of a long night for our entire family. Martha and Jenaleigh both were periodically coughing because of their sinus issues. Because they were coughing they weren’t sleeping, and neither was I.

Compound that with the day before, when I had hit the road at 5:30 a.m. and spent a total of eight hours driving to and from my work destination for the day. I had been tired when finally arriving home, and obviously didn’t get much rest that evening. Between the sick and the weary, we were a pitiful crew.

The morning weather was also a stark contrast from the sunny beautiful day before. It was cold, raining, and dark. To top it all off,  I hadn’t set up my coffee pot the night before, so I had no coffee in my hand at the moment that I was standing at the kitchen sink, beginning to dread the coming day.

Wednesday had hardly started, and already it wasn’t looking so good. But I wouldn’t need coffee to make it better.

To my side, I heard my little girl singing, so I turned to watch her. She was stomping around the kitchen, in time with the song she was singing. At first I didn’t recognize the song, but then the words came out clear as day. Well, sort of clear.

“Deres nottta fred [unintelligible] ohly JESUS! NO na ONE, NO na ONE. Na es cud heel [unintelligible] sos DISEEESES. NO na ONE, NO na ONE! JESUS nos [unintelligible] TRUBLES. He will guide day is dun! Deres nottta fred [unintelligible] ohly JESUS! NO na ONE, NO na ONE.”

She continued this little show for another minute and a half. Despite being a little sick, deprived of sleep, and waking up to a cold dreary day she had a positive attitude. She was still happy, and acting like it. I couldn’t help but smile, and feel a bit ashamed of the thoughts that had been running through my head just a moment before.

So in watching my precious nearly two-year-old stomp around the kitchen, singing with all her heart, I was reminded of two very valuable lessons I’d like to share with you for your day.

First, never lose the perspective of an innocent child. Too often we as adults are overwhelmed with what’s wrong. We forget about what’s right. We focus on our cursing’s instead of our blessings. But if we were to stop and think about it, ALL of us have a lot more good going for us than bad going against us. So keep your mind focused on those things (Philippians 4:8; Ephesians 1:3).

Second, never forget that there’s not a friend in the world like Jesus. Jesus can heal our soul’s diseases (Mark 2:17). He knows what it feels like to actually have the world against him (Isaiah 53:3-5), so he can sympathize with the tempting difficulties in life that you and I suffer from (Hebrews 4:15). Likewise, he will never leave us (Matthew 28:20, compare Hebrews 13:5-6 and Proverbs 18:24). There’s not a friend in the world like the lowly Jesus.

Are you His friend, too? I promise that if you aren’t, becoming his friend will make all the difference in your world. If you are, don’t forget it.

 

-Daniel Howell  is the  preacher  for the  Metropolis (IL) Church of Christ.

“You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (Jesus, in John 15:14 ESV)