September 16, 2013
Pastorgraphs: “Love at First Sight”
Nate Landis is the Founder and President of Urban Youth Collaborative, one of the many
remarkable agencies affiliated with the San Diego Downtown
Fellowship of Churches and Ministries. I had the good fortune to attend
last Thursday’s lunch meeting when Rev. Nate gave a powerful and moving message
about his ministry to San Diego’s urban youth. His passion is for their spiritual
well-being, and like the parable of the good shepherd, will not be satisfied if
even one sheep is lost.
Fellowship of Churches and Ministries. I had the good fortune to attend
last Thursday’s lunch meeting when Rev. Nate gave a powerful and moving message
about his ministry to San Diego’s urban youth. His passion is for their spiritual
well-being, and like the parable of the good shepherd, will not be satisfied if
even one sheep is lost.
Nate told a
story that moved me deeply. It was about the first time he saw his new-born
son. Nate said he had heard about “love at first sight” but that was when he
experienced it in this way. “As I held my son for the first time, I fell as
deeply in love as I have ever been. As I looked into the face of my son, I saw
my own face. I knew from that moment I would do anything, even die, for this child
I loved more than myself.”
I don’t
think I was the only person moved to tears. The message was powerful and the
parallels are inescapable. It is one of the best reminders of how much God
loves each one of us - UNCONDITIONALLY!
·
The
first time God laid eyes upon you, his son or daughter, He fell deeply in love
with you.
·
As
He looked into your beautiful face, He saw Himself (created in His image).
·
He
loved you so deeply, He would die for you. And as a matter of fact, He sent His
Son to do exactly that.
It is easy
to get the love of our Heavenly Father for us wrapped up in theology, religion,
or the daily grind of life. But when we see it in such clear imagery as Nate’s
first love for his son, it becomes real and personal.
It also
stands as a reminder for “prodigal sons and daughters” that your Father never
stops loving you, no matter how far from His love you may roam. He is
constantly looking at the horizon for a wandering child to return home.
So today I
just wanted to remind you how special you are to have a Father who loves you so
much. You are created in His image, and He could not be more proud that you are
His child.
Thanks Nate
for a refreshing reminder of how much our Heavenly Father loves each and every
one of us! It is John 3:16 in poetic 2013 language.
Devotedly, Bill
Jenkins
From the
Quote Garden:
“Sherman
made the terrible discovery that men make about their fathers sooner or later...
that the man before him was not an aging father but a boy, a boy much like
himself, a boy who grew up and had a child of his own and, as best he could,
out of a sense of duty and, perhaps love, adopted a role called Being a Father
so that his child would have something mythical and infinitely important: a
Protector, who would keep a lid on all the chaotic and catastrophic
possibilities of life.”
~ Tom Wolfe, The Bonfire of the
Vanities ~
Christ United Methodist Ministry
Center
“Christ
in the Heart of San Diego”
3295
Meade Avenue - San Diego, CA 92116 - (619) 284-9205
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