Dear Friends

In an interview some years ago the American entertainer Garrison Keillor recounted how he remembers the emotional pain he endured as a child of regularly being chosen last for any sports team event.

“There always came that moment,” he said “when the team captains were down to their last grudging choices, a slow kid for a catcher, someone to stick out in right field where nobody even hits it. I noticed they always choose the last ones two at a time – ‘you and you’ because it makes no difference. They regarded me and the other final kids as being handicaps, ‘If I take him, then you’ve got to take the other’, they say to themselves.

How I longed, just once for the team leader to pick me first and say, “Him, I want him – the skinny kid with glasses and the black shoes”- but it never happened. I was never chosen with much enthusiasm and to this day I still feel the pain.”

Many people in this life bear the scars of rejection. They have had the stuffing knocked out of them and they feel generally worthless, useless and always struggle as regards self-confidence.
How comforting and reassuring is the message of the Bible. Scripture teaches that every individual is special and valuable in the sight of God – quite the reverse from the way the world often treats us.

“Are not five sparrows sold for just two copper coins”, explained Jesus, “and yet not one of them is forgotten before God. Fear not even the very hairs on your head are all numbered”. We are of such value and worth to God, that He cares about even the tiniest details of our being. He died for each one of us, not just some but all, and He wants to have a private and personal relationship with every single individual. Its quite an awesome thought, but quite true, that if absolutely every single person turned to Christ in the world, with the exception of just one, God would still not be happy. He would never be happy until the final individual turned to Him.

A certain speaker started off his seminar on God’s individual love by holding up a £50 note. “Who would like this £50 note?” he asked. Hands went up throughout the audience. He then said, “I am going to give this £50 note to one of you but first let me do this”. He proceeded to crumple it up. He then asked, “Who still wants it?” The same hands went into the air. Well he replied, “What if I do this?” He dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up all crumpled and now very dirty. “Now who still wants it?” Again the same hands went into the air.

“You have all learned an important lesson”, said the speaker. “no matter what I do to this money, you still wanted it because no matter what happended to it, it didn’t decrease in its real value. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumbled, ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. Scripture teaches however that no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value in God’s eyes. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are priceless to him.” How comforting it is to know that in this day and generation when so many are regarded as mere “numbers” and personal service is almost non-existent, God loves you personally and is immensely concerned about your welfare and future. No wonder St Peter exhorts us to “cast all our cares upon Him because He cares for you”.

Your pastor and friend