Lessons From My Nephew

I woke up this morning and immediately missed him. My little nephew. My mind raced to the comfort of Mark 10: 29-30, “ “I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “ no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields, and with them persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life”.” You see, I just had the opportunity to meet my nephew in person for the first time. I’d been seeing photos and videos of him since his birth almost a year ago. But now I had met him. 8 short, precious days that will have to tide me over for two and a half years. The price of following Jesus felt heavy when I woke up this morning, and the cross of the gospel especially painful. I had to cling to Jesus’ promise that it will be worth every moment of pain.

As I sat and had my devotions, still applying the balm of Jesus’ words to my aching heart, I had a thought. I love my nephew more than I can describe, and yet, I’ve only seen him in the flesh for 8 days. This deep love I feel for him has been building for a year from photos and snippets of video and the things his parents tell me about him. It made me think of my love for Jesus. I’ve never seen Him with my own eyes, and yet, I love Him enough to walk away from a career, my parents, my brother, my nephew — to walk away from a “normal” life. 1 Peter 1:8-9 says, “Though you have not seen [Jesus], you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (NIV 1984). I’ve only ever heard about Jesus from His Word, from those that have walked with Him, from my experiences with Him even though I cannot see Him. I watched His work in and through those around me that have loved Him and I’ve come to love Him as a result. I’m filled with inexpressible and glorious joy because I receive Him and the rescue and life that He brings, even when I must relinquish other things that I hold dear.

There’s an old hymn my Mom and Grandpa used to sing that goes like this:

It will be worth it all
when we see Jesus!
Life's trials will seem so small
when we see Christ.
One glimpse of his dear face,
all sorrow will erase.
So, bravely run the race
till we see Christ.

That hymn has been pounding through my heart and head as I headed to see my nephew and had to let go of him after his precious snuggle the last night I saw him. I know whom I have believed in, and I’m persuaded that He is able to guard and protect what I have committed to Him until I meet him face to face. Jesus cares more for what and who I love than I do. I can trust Jesus, even though I’ve never seen Him. And I know, that once I see His face, just like when I saw my nephew’s face, all of my sorrow will be erased and my heart will be home for good. So today, I’m grateful for this lesson from my nephew, even though it hurts, and I look forward to seeing him again much the same as I look forward to seeing Christ.