The Importance of Being There
I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.—2 John 1:12 (NIV)
To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy…—JUDE 1:24 NIV
Caring for another may be one of the hardest things we ever do. It requires us to set aside our own plans, putting a temporary halt to our own involvements.
But, amazingly, we can experience joy in caregiving! It may not seem logical—after all, if we’re caring for someone, it’s usually because he or she is struggling. Yet there is joy to be found, especially if we’ll stop and consider who is cheering us on through the process: Jesus.
Yes, Jesus. Many of the people Jesus interacted with on the Earth had no one cheering for them. They were cast off by society, weak from illness, frightened, poor, and otherwise troubled. But as the Lord cared for them, their lives began to change. They knew that someone was thinking of them with great love and affection.
Caregivers may slip up now and then—but we’re never going to fall down completely, because Jesus is there to cheer us on. May that thought fill us with joy, a joy we can pass on to the people we serve.
Dear Father, I’m so encouraged by the truth that You are thinking of me!
I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.—2 John 1:12 (NIV)
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.—2 Corinthians 1:3–4 (NIV)
The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.—Proverbs 19:8 (NIV)