Thursday, March 18, 2010

Heart Thoughts from Helen

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killer of prophets,
Abuser of the messengers of God!
How often I’ve longed to gather your children,
Gather your children like a hen,
Her brood safe under her wings---“ (Luke 13:34, THE MESSAGE)

I have a framed card with a hen gathering her chicks under her wing. It was given to me by a dear friend a number of years ago. At the time I taught large couples Sunday School Class and had developed a deep and lasting love for them. They represented my ‘chicks’ and I did love having them all under my wings. Their hopes were my hopes, their grief’s grieved me; their spiritual growth sent my spirit soaring. I learned much more from them than they ever learned from me.

Nothing pleases a mother more than to have all her ‘chicks’ gathered around her. From the above verse I guess you could say that Jesus felt the same way about His children.

Yesterday, we visited my mother who resides at National Health Care in Sumter. Not long after Dennis and I arrived my older sister and her daughter joined us. Mother will be ninety-four on April 25. In recent days she’s experienced some mental confusion and her only remaining sighted eye is failing her. Thus we all gathered to evaluate and encourage.

Sisters, or at least I and my sister and my mother and her sister, Aunt Margaret (now deceased) laugh a lot when we get together. Yesterday was no different even though the circumstances were far from amusing. Perhaps its inappropriate affect that causes us to ‘make light’ of what we can so that the obvious remains out of sight and out of mind. Rather like the pink elephant in the room. Nevertheless, my sister, Judy, Shery, and Mother and I laughed a great deal. Laughter and tears often trade places back and forth in unusual circumstances. My heart cries out for Jesus as He wept over Jerusalem, seeking to gather her as a hen gathers her chicks….but they would not…….

Is Jesus still weeping over those He can’t gather under His wings before He comes again? Are all His ‘chicken chillun’ (as my grandmother Goodson used to call us) gathered in under His wings? Are there any sisters or brothers clucking and running the other way? Don’t refuse and turn away. Can you see Him sitting on that hillside, weeping?

The way of love is never an easy way. Jesus wept over His city and, alone, faced the cross on their behalf…and ours.

If we set our hearts to Him as our example, we must be prepared to suffer. “It was the way the Master went: should not the servant tread it still?”

Beloved, let us love.

Lord, what is love?

Love inspired My life, and led Me to My Cross, and help Me on My Cross. Love is that which will make it your joy to lay down your life for your friends.

Lord, evermore give me this love.

-- Amy Carmichael

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