Month: April 2020

She was only forty-six years old but she had already survived a difficult bout of breast cancer.  The combined surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy over the past six months had taken a physical and emotional toll upon her and exaggerated the wrinkles on her face and body, making her appear much older. I quietly entered her hospital room and introduced myself. She managed to force a slight smile as I explained why I was there. I had been consulted by the surgeon and oncologist to perform a fine needle aspiration of a tumor arising in the right side of her abdomen. In all of medicine, there is no quicker and definitive diagnosis than a fine needle aspiration, performed and interpreted by a pathologist. Utilizing a specially designed apparatus, a syringe with a hollow bore needle is maneuvered into position. The pathologist is able to quickly and painlessly insert the needle into a tumor and aspirate a small sample of tumor cells. The contents of the syringe are immediately evacuated onto a glass slide and smeared to a monolayer. A portable microscope is brought to the bedside to confirm the adequacy of the aspiration. Depending upon the location of the tumor, the entire procedure usually takes less than five minutes. 

 

I spent a few minutes with her calmly explaining what I was about to do. Gaining her trust, I proceeded with the aspiration. The sample was adequate and I thanked her for her patience and informed her I would be speaking to her other doctors. 

 

Because of her breast cancer history, the medical team was concerned about a recurrence of her breast cancer. Her radiographic studies strongly suggested this diagnosis as well. We all presumed we knew the answer but we needed a definitive confirmation before the medical team could embark upon a treatment plan. It was a welcome moment of relief when I communicated the benign diagnosis to her medical team a short time later. 

 

There are many encounters in life for which the answer is seemingly obvious, but we need confirmation before we can proceed. For years, I lived a life that convinced me that I was a good person. I would seek to perform acts of kindness. I avoided controversial topics of conversation such as religion and politics. I volunteered my time for worthy causes. I did these things to feel good about myself and look good to others. I thought I knew the answers to life, when, in reality, I needed God to hold a spiritual mirror in front of me so that my true sordid nature would be exposed. Nothing I did could ever restore the broken relationship that my sins had broken with God, my Creator. The confirmation that I was a sinner needed the intervention of a sovereign God. He brought me to my knees, confessing and repenting of my sins, and accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

 

Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. 

Ecclesiastes 7:20 (ESV)

 

God speaks to each of us in a unique voice and when He acts, He can give confirm the diagnosis of our true sinful nature quicker and more accurately than any diagnostic procedure man can ever devise. Jesus Christ is the Great Physician.

 

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

 

Each year, I review dozens of resumes from medical students seeking to gain a position in our dermatology residency program. An important component of each application is the letters of recommendation, usually written by their medical school professors. Understandably, one would expect these letters to be glowing endorsements, gushing in accolades for the applicant. After all, why would an applicant ever ask someone who would not do otherwise?

 

Recently, I was surprised by a recommendation letter. Written by a prominent dermatologist at a major university medical center, he had trained generations of dermatology residents who later went on to become leaders in their respective fields. Thus, my attention was riveted to his evaluation, carefully parsing his observations and insights for the applicant. It began with a recap of how he knew the applicant and the research projects they had completed together. The evaluation raised no red flags until the last paragraph. There it was, the last statement of an otherwise seemingly excellent reference.

 

“I would rank this applicant within the top 40% of all medical students who have done a rotation with me.”

 

40% !!!

 

I was shocked. It was a common practice for references to rank an applicant on a relative scale compared to others who have worked with them. The usual statement was something like, “I would rank this applicant within the top 1%…or top 5% of all medical students with whom I have worked.” It was difficult to interpret this lukewarm evaluation as a ringing endorsement. The statement alerted us to dig deeper and we soon uncovered additional issues and deficiencies that led us to ultimately reject his application. 

 

A tongue in cheek assessment is 50% of all medical students graduate in the bottom half of their class. While initially reading like a pejorative statement, it is simply a statement of fact; half of the class will graduate in the top half and half will graduate in the bottom half. Graduating at the bottom of one’s medical school class does not necessarily mean that a person is or will be a poor physician. Every medical student is well-qualified to be there and a lower standing may simply reflect that the entire class was highly competitive. Perhaps the student that ranked last would be ranked higher at another medical school. The task for a person reviewing a letter of reference is to read between the lines and attempt to discern what is truly attempting to be communicated. In this cited example, when we were willing to further investigate, it became clear that the candidate was not a stellar applicant. In other examples, the task is not as simple.

 

We should apply the same principles when we read the Bible. The Bible is the Word of God. Its entire message is centered upon Jesus Christ. The Bible shows us the pathway to salvation by confessing and repenting of one’s sins and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The New Testament is a stirring account of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But what about the Old Testament? Does it also depict Jesus Christ and the pathway to redemption? Can we read between the lines?

 

The author of the entire Bible is God, the Holy Spirit. He directed dozens of men to record His revelation. Reading between the lines of this history of the Jewish people, are numerous clues that point to the revelation of Jesus Christ. From the prophecy of His virgin birth, the record of His death and resurrection, and to His triumphant return to earth as King of Kings and Lords of Lords-these seemingly disparate clues are beautifully woven together to forge an epic tale of love and redemption of a Holy God seeking to reconcile the relationship with mankind, broken because of sin. 

 

Look at this remarkable verse in which the Holy Spirit directed the prophet Zechariah to write. He was writing to encourage the Jewish people returning to Jerusalem after seventy years of exile in Babylon. Dejected and stripped of their former glory, Zechariah prophesied of the Messiah who would restore their kingdom.

 

Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died.

Zechariah 12:10 (NLT)

 

This Messiah would be born in the bloodline of King David. He would be pierced and be mourned at His death. He would be a firstborn son. Only one person matches this description-Jesus Christ. Yet, this prophecy was written nearly five hundred years before Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. 

 

Can we read between the lines?

 

This is exactly what God intended when He wrote the Bible. If we are willing to search for God, He will always reveal Himself.

 

Amen!

 

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

 

 

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The Big Bang theory.

 

While this may ring familiar as a popular television sitcom, it is actually referencing a theory that the universe has a definitive beginning, originating from a singular point in time and space approximately 13.8 billion years ago. It may come as a surprise to some in this current generation that the Big Bang theory was not always an established nor accepted concept. For thousands of years prior to the proposal of the theory, most scientists believed the universe was static and unchanging. Some of the initial hesitations the scientific community had toward the theory were that it sounded like religion, a weak pretext to invoke a mythical god when existing theories did not suffice. Only through the later revelations and predictions of complex mathematical equations of relativity and quantum mechanics coupled with the invention of sophisticated devices that could verify these predictions did the theory gain wide-spread acceptance in the scientific community. The popular press and educational system soon followed. 

 

It was a paradigm shift. 

 

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1 (ESV)

 

For Christians, the Truth was always evident. The Bible begins with this familiar verse with no explanation of the mechanism, only that it began with God. Thousands of years would elapse before mankind and scientific knowledge advanced enough to begin to explain some of the scientific principles that God created and utilized. Yet, no matter how sophisticated our explanations are, there is still an unanswered question. How can something arise from nothing? If the universe began from a singularity, a single point from which all space and time originated, what created this? Scientists have proposed elaborate explanations such as alternative or multiple universes. While compelling, it simply pushes the question further back in time, how did these other universes arise? Something cannot arise from nothing.

 

The Bible is not a textbook of science, it is a statement of Truth. When one begins to critically examine the science of the Big Bang theory, one is faced with the staggering evidence that the universe and all creation had to be precisely finely tuned for the Big Bang to occur. How finely tuned? In 2002, theoretical physicists from Stanford University published a remarkable paper entitled, “Disturbing Implications of a Cosmological Constant.” These scientists, all atheists, demonstrated that the probability for the Big Bang to occur as it did was 1 x 10*120. This is greater than the number of known particles in the universe! They hypothesized that “an unknown agent” intervened to create such precision. Unknown agent, indeed!

 

Our paradigm shift will be when we all realize that humans are not the masters of the universe, only God is. Once we understand this relationship, everything else will fall into place and we will understand our place in God’s Creation. We were created to worship God in everything we do and with everyone with whom we interact. The endless and futile search for success and power will be revealed as meaningless. We will experience the paradigm shift that God desires for all of us. Only by confessing and repenting of our sins and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will our existence be in sync with God. 

 

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

 

For over thirty years, I visited Jake every month. The other day, when I was seeing him at my usual appointment, I was reflecting upon the accumulated time I have spent with him; it was at least 360 times! Each appointment was at least 30 minutes adding up to 180 hours. Astounding!

 

Jake is my barber.

 

I doubt if there is anyone outside of my family, close friends, and work associates with whom I have spent so much time. Not even my pastors, with whom I have shared so many intimate moments, can compare to the cumulative time I have spent with him. Not surprisingly, Jake and I have become friends, exchanging Christmas cards and occasionally texting each other with restaurant recommendations. We have both grown older together and he and his wife attended my wedding and have shared in the births of our two children, seeing them grow to young adults. But there is a sadness in my heart that in spite of the close contact we have had for so many years, we have only superficially spoken about God. Perhaps as a barber, Jake needs to maintain a comfortable distance and be willing to engage everyone on a wide range of topics, never shaming them or making them feel uncomfortable. He is there to listen and accept, not to judge, I reasoned. When I once shared my faith and ventured to ask him about his, he smiled and said, “It’s all good, if it makes you happy then you should believe it.”

 

For many years, I felt the same way that Jake did. People had the right to believe what they chose. The only stipulation I placed upon these beliefs was that it did not hurt other people. This is certainly laudable but I soon encountered many gray areas. Some belief systems clashed with the belief systems of others. All couldn’t be right but just as important, which is right?

 

There are kernels of good in many religions of the world because Truth is unchanging. Most of us know good and evil when we experience it. But what happens when one declares something is good and it is diametrically opposed to another’s belief? All cannot be correct. Is there an absolute standard by which we can judge morality? Is there an absolute Truth?

 

The complete revelation of Truth can only be found in the Bible and in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Why Jesus Christ over all other religions? All other leaders and chief prophets of other religions are dead. Only Jesus Christ died and was resurrected from the dead. Only He proved that by confessing and repenting of our sins and accepting Him as Lord and Savior, can we have salvation and eternal life through faith in His Name.

 

During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.
(Acts 1:3 NLT)

 

Hundreds of witnesses interacted with the risen Savior over a period of forty days. He lived with them, ate with them, and taught them. No one, not even the Jewish authorities who demanded His death, could refute the fact that His tomb was empty and He was alive. When He ascended to Heaven, He sent God, the Holy Spirit, to empower all believers in His name.

 

I continue to pray for Jake and the many other people with whom I interact daily. Now, with increased social distancing and the mandatory closure of non-essential services, I have not seen Jake for over two months, although I am in communication with him through texting. God has blessed me with his friendship and I pray the Holy Spirit will continue to provide opportunities to speak to his heart about the good news of Jesus Christ.

 

It’s all good. This is only Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior. The only true Living God!

 

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

 

It was only 730 AM but there were already twenty people waiting in seats outside the crowded office. I was directed to a table where five people dressed in hospital scrubs were filling out forms. I approached one whose ID badge read “Supervisor”.

 

“Excuse me, I have an appointment at 745 AM.”

 

He motioned to the open door and told me to sign in. As I waited to be seen, dozens of other employees came through and signed in. All were there for the same reason. They were being tested for COVID-19 after being exposed while caring for patients at this hospital.

 

I was sitting in employee health at the hospital where I am a faculty member. About three months earlier, I was informed by my program coordinator that I needed to take my annual TB test. Three months in these days of a worldwide pandemic may just as well be a year. The entire hospital was radically transformed, since the last time I stepped foot there six months earlier. Temporary tents were set up in the parking lot to screen patients for COVID-19. Security was tripled at all entrances. Even employee health was transformed with an additional triage area set up outside the main office in which I now sat.

 

As I surveyed the changes, a woman came out to greet me. “Good morning, Doctor. I’m sorry, why are you here?”

 

“My program coordinator scheduled me for my annual TB test.”

 

She frowned as she continued. “Your program coordinator should have told you that all non-essential testing, including TB testing, has been postponed.”

 

I nodded. “I completely understand. I actually spoke to him last week because I was concerned the COVID-19 may have changed normal protocols, but he reassured me that I was still scheduled.”

 

She closed her eyes for a second before she looked at me and said, “Well, I’m sorry. We are overwhelmed with COVID-19 testing and we don’t want to risk you being exposed.” She smiled and took my paperwork. “Let me reschedule you when things are less busy.”

 

I was embarrassed and quickly fumbled an apology, “I am so sorry to have disrupted your workflow.”

 

She smiled as she handed my paperwork back to me. “No worries. We just want to keep you safe. I will see you in two months.”

 

We have all seen the terrifying images of health care workers and first responders in numerous hospitals where the COVID-19 pandemic is exacting a terrible toll. This was the first time I personally experienced it in an acute care setting. As I exited the hospital, I gave thanks to God for the hundreds of employees and patients at the hospital, asking Him to protect all of them and quickly heal those who are afflicted. All of my medical colleagues are currently dealing with very ill patients that require urgent attention for many diseases other than COVID-19 but my colleagues in this and many other hospitals are different. They are bravely and unselfishly placing themselves in a potentially lethal situation to care for their patients and I am grateful to support them. I recommitted myself to caring for my patients with the same urgency and dedication that my colleagues are courageously caring for their COVID-19 patients.

 

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)

 

Medicine does not punch a clock and disease may strike anyone at any time. Crises like the current COVID-19 pandemic remind all of us that there may be unequal sacrifices asked of those who are caring for the ill. We all need to be supportive, through any means possible, for those who are on the frontlines. Above all, it should encourage all of us to pray unceasingly for God’s grace, mercy, and love for all who are affected by the virus.

 

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

 

The soft green light cast an eerie hue onto the skin of my daughter’s arm. There, outlined in gray serpiginous lines, was the target-her veins. Several years ago, we were in the outpatient triage area where she was awaiting the placement of an intravenous line, in preparation for her diagnostic radiologic study. The device was an infrared red imager designed to assist in the detection of a patient’s veins by highlighting the heat difference of the blood flow in the veins contrasted with the cooler surrounding skin.

 

As I observed this device simplify and diminish the time it took to locate a suitable vein, I reflected upon the dozens of hours I labored as a medical student, learning the painstaking art of finding a vein to start an intravenous line or to draw blood for laboratory testing. I remembered the anxious moments when a patient came into the emergency room with collapsed veins, secondary to blood loss or dehydration, as we frantically attempted to find a suitable vein. “That’s too easy!” I chuckled to myself. Yet, I was thankful for this new technology that simplified the process. The veins were always there but were now revealed in literally a new light. No more futile searching!

 

For years, I searched for a relationship with God. I was involved in a religious cult that devoted hours to meditation, chanting, and listening to the teachings of a self-proclaimed prophet. There were moments of clarity and I thought that I was finally beginning to find God. However, most of my experiences ended in frustration. Like searching for a suitable vein in an ill patient, it was a painstaking trial and error, always learning but never able to arrive at a complete understanding of God. It was only when I read the Bible did God shine His light of revelation and illuminate my spiritual darkness.

 

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

John 8:12 (ESV)

 

Like the seemingly elusive veins, God is always present. I simply needed to see Him in a new light and He revealed Himself through the illumination of His Word, the Bible. I now understood God’s plan for my life and for His Creation. I understood why I am a sinner, spiritually separated from God, and how I am utterly incapable of restoring my broken relationship with God through my own efforts. No meditation or chanting would do it. I needed a Savior. I needed the true Light of the world. I needed Jesus Christ. No more futile searching!

 

Praise God for His grace and mercy to me!

 

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

 

Throughout the Bible, there are remarkable examples of people being brought back to life.

 

The widow of Zarephath’s son was raised from the dead by the Prophet Elijah

(1 Kings 17:17-24)

 

The Shunammite woman’s son was raised from the dead by the Prophet Elisha 

(2 Kings 4:18-37)

 

Jairus’ daughter was raised from the dead by Jesus Christ

(Mark 5:21-43)

 

The widow of Nain’s son was raised from the dead by Jesus Christ 

(Luke 7:11-17)

 

Lazarus was raised from the dead by Jesus Christ

(John 11:1-44)

 

Tabitha was raised from the dead by the Apostle Peter 

(Acts 9:36-42 )

 

Eutychus was raised from the dead by the Apostle Paul

(Acts 20:7-12)

 

These are all remarkable miracles and the Bible states that there were many more individuals who were raised from the dead but their names and precise circumstances were not recorded. I always wondered, why doesn’t the Bible record what these fortunate individuals saw and experienced when they were in Heaven? Wouldn’t they be gushing about the wondrous paradise that awaits us? Wouldn’t God want us to know? The Apostle Paul gives us a possible answer.

 

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.

2 Corinthians 12:2-4 (ESV)

 

Many Bible scholars speculate that the Apostle Paul was referring to himself when writing this passage, referencing the time when he was stoned in the city of Lystra (Acts 14:19). Paul did acknowledge that he witnessed the “surpassing greatness of the revelations” but was forbidden by the Holy Spirit to share any greater details (2 Corinthians 12:7). Why?

 

The glorious answer is one does not have to wonder what Paul or anyone else who was raised from the dead ever saw in Heaven because we have the testimony of the most reliable witness to this glorious afterlife. Jesus Christ died on the Cross and three days later, He was resurrected from the dead and walked amongst the living for forty days. He was with God the Father from the beginning of Creation. He came to earth, born a man. He ascended and returned to Heaven where He now reigns. All of the other people who were raised from the dead eventually died again. Only Jesus Christ conquered death for all eternity and in Heaven, never to die again. He is ready to welcome all who confess and repent of their sins and placed their trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

 

In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

John 14:2 (ESV)

 

Jesus is preparing for all believers in Him, an eternity of peace, joy, comfort, and love, forever in the presence of God. We may not know all the details but we know the promise…because He did tell us!

 

Yes! God does want us to know!

 

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

 

 

“Hey Doc, got a second?”

 

“Sure Jake, what’s up?”

 

“Gotta talk to you in private.”

 

Jake was a courier for one of the reference laboratories with whom our company worked with for the past five years. Jovial with an infectious care-free attitude, I and my staff eagerly awaited his arrival each morning to share a laugh or quick story. This morning was different. Usually, when someone desires to speak to me in private, it is to discuss a personal medical problem. I smiled and ushered him into my office and closed the door.

 

“Everything okay, Jake?”

 

“Yeah..yeah,” he said in a manner that was evident that it was not. “Uhh…remember last Christmas, you gave me that gift card for that restaurant?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Got any more of those?”

 

“Sure..why?”

 

“I’m really hungry.”

 

I stared at Jake for a few seconds. His usual smiling facade had vanished. “What’s going on, Jake?”

 

“I’m really short this month and I don’t have enough money for food.” Jake averted his eyes, feigning interest in a text on his cell phone.

 

“No problem, Jake.” I fished out a gift card from my desk and handed it to him. Thanking me, he quickly exited our laboratory. We never spoke of this exchange again.

 

Many of us have experienced the pain of hunger in this country. Through churches and volunteer organizations, I have assisted in gathering and distributing food to those in need, interacting with hundreds of people. However, this was the first time that it affected someone who was more than a casual acquaintance to me. The face of hunger was my colleague.

 

“…Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Matthew 25:41-46 (ESV)

 

I suspect there are many more people, with whom I interact on a daily basis, who are like Jake. It is a difficult and sensitive topic and potentially embarrassing for someone to express their needs.  I continue to pray to God to heighten my sensitivity to the physical and financial needs of those in my immediate circle of contacts and for everyone whom I meet, allowing me to minister to them in a sensitive and responsive manner.

 

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

 

“You don’t want this any longer? You used to love this!”

 

My daughter was doing a spring cleaning of her room at our home after returning home from college. Neatly piled in the hallway leading to her room, were multiple stacks of nineteen years of accumulated possessions and memories. As I rummaged through the items, I was surprised by some of the things she was choosing to donate or discard.

 

“Dad! I did love it…when I was eight years old!”

 

“Ok, Sweetheart.” I picked through some other stacks. “Wait, you’re not throwing out these stuffed animals? You loved these!”

 

“DAD!”

 

Spring cleaning.

 

It is a time when we discard or donate things that we think we no longer need, but the process is far from perfect. Even after many Spring cleanings, my closet is still filled with many dusty memories, most of which are meaningful only to me and no one else. In addition to my high school diploma and yearbooks, I have my certificate of completion for a summer electronics class when I was eleven years old. There is a medal for participation in a Shakespearean drama festival when I was in the ninth grade. And there are more, many more. I keep them because of sentimental value, believing these items are representative of important events and accomplishments in my life. I wonder, though, if God were to do a Spring cleaning in my life, what would he choose to keep and discard?

 

In that room were a gold incense altar and a wooden chest called the Ark of the Covenant, which was covered with gold on all sides. Inside the Ark were a gold jar containing manna, Aaron’s staff that sprouted leaves, and the stone tablets of the covenant.

Hebrews 9:4 (NLT)

 

Within one of Israel’s most sacred possessions, the Ark of the Covenant, God selected three precious items to retain: manna, Aaron’s staff, and the stone tablets upon which were inscribed the Ten Commandments and laws of the covenant. Certainly, these are important items to keep for posterity but why didn’t God choose something else, like a piece of Noah’s ark? Surely that would have been a meaningful item? While I may think so, God’s thoughts and ways are not ours. God ordained that it was with these items that He wanted the Israelites to remember His promises to deliver them from oppression and their enemies. He discarded the rest and kept the best.

 

When I do a Spring cleaning, I discard things that I think I will no longer need. When we allow God to perform a Spring cleaning in our lives, He only selects the items that will draw us closer to Him, to remember and rely upon His promises.

 

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

 

“Son, who is your best friend?”

“Jake is my best friend!”

“Not Daddy?”

“JAKE is my best friend!”

My son and I often do this light-hearted repartee, both of us laughing as I feign surprise and disappointment with his answers. Jake is a few years younger than my son and for nearly 10 years, they have shared a lasting bond. My son is protective of Jake and often takes him aside to pray with him before our families have a meal together. Jake is always caring and attentive to my son who has Down syndrome because his younger sister also has Down syndrome and he is sensitive to her special needs. Our two families came together because of our children and we, the parents, have also become close friends.

Recently, we were invited to their home to celebrate a birthday for Jake’s mother. It was a gala affair, and the children were entertained with a bouncer. We all enjoyed the day and were grateful that my son was able to spend some time with Jake. Jake’s father texted me a week later and was anxious to share an incident of what happened at the party. Oh no, I thought! Did something happen between the two of them? Indeed, something did.

“Listen,” my friend began on his phone call. “Remember my wife’s birthday party?”

“Yes…great time, thanks again. What’s up?” I hesitatingly asked.

“Remember we had a bouncer downstairs for the kids?”

“Yes.”

“Well, when our boys were playing together, there was another boy, a classmate of Jake, who had a meltdown.”

“What happened?”

“The bouncer was not inflating so he became agitated and started acting out. When Jake saw what was happening, he immediately hugged his friend and attempted to talk him down. Jake had seen this before in his classmate and knew how to defuse it. He then called out to another friend to take your son and my daughter away from this situation.”

I listened in stunned silence.

“But your son didn’t want to leave! He thought Jake was in danger as he held this other kid who was struggling in his arms. So he got a beach ball and threw it at the kid to try to break them up as he was yelling, ‘Jake! Jake!’ My son then yelled out, ‘It’s okay!’ and repeated his request to take your son away from all of this, but he wouldn’t leave until he knew Jake was safe. In the end, no one was hurt, but Jake didn’t tell us about what happened until a week later.”

Tears rolled down my face as I listened to my friend share this tender story of friendship. After the phone call, I shared the story with my wife and daughter, who had the same reaction. I then went over to my son, hugged him, and said, “Thank you for taking care of Jake at Auntie Sally’s birthday party. You love Jake, don’t you?”

My son looked at me and smiled. “Jake is my best friend.”

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Proverbs 17:17 (ESV)

There are many examples of friendship, but all are defined by a deep and abiding love for one another. I thank God for the friendship that my son and Jake share. Their devotion to each other embodies the same selfless love that God offers to all of us through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.