Anita Ojeda This post is part of the Five-Minute Friday quick write hosted by Kate Moutang. Join us each Thursday night on Twitter (#FMFParty) for fun and fellowship, then grab a pen and start writing when the prompt goes live!
Does God care for you? Sometimes, it may seem like he’s too busy or he has it out for you and it’s hard to believe he really cares.
Does God Care for You?
“Nobody cares about me,” he said with a snarl only an angst-filled teen boy can pull off.
I said a silent prayer before I answered. “God does. God cares for you.”
“Ha!” he snorted. “What has God ever done for me?”
“I can’t answer that,” I said, “but I can tell you it’s true. And I can tell you I care for you. Mr. Ojeda cares for you. Your other teachers care for you. We all want to see you succeed. Do you believe me?”
“I guess.” He looked up; his expressive brown eyes full of pain. “I guess I believe about you caring for me. You cook that nacho soup whenever I ask. And you make good cookies. Mr. Ojeda probably cares for me, too. He takes me mountain biking.”
“We care, and God cares for you, too,” I said one more time. “You might not believe it now, but I hope you never forget. I pray one day you’ll feel the truth of it.”
Sadly, all the care in the world didn’t keep him at our school. I’ve seen him a few times in the intervening years. The grapevine reports his brushes with the law and the times he spends in jail.
The God Who Cares Demands We Care, Too
Did I care enough? Do enough? Reflect Jesus enough? Only heaven knows. I haven’t always understood my commission to love like Jesus. Many times, I’ve failed when my own ego got in the way. My unkind actions, thoughtless words, and careless attitude don’t reflect a God who cares.
If we want the world to believe God cares about them, we must care about them first. Caring about others means listening and praying before we speak. It means accepting people without judgment—even if they do things, wear things, say things we don’t agree with.
The world won’t feel drawn towards a God who cares if his people act like they don’t give a hoot.
The world won’t feel drawn towards a God who cares if his people act like they don’t give a hoot. #SocialJustice #Christian Click To TweetI pray God keeps working with me, teaching me how to care more instead of less. Even if I fail to reflect the truth, the answer is YES! 1 Peter 5:7 says,
Cast all your anxiety on him (God) because he cares for you.
NIV
There are times when I wonder if God has heard my prayers my mind tries to question his love but my heart knows his truth. #fmf
Sara recently posted…Care
The truth? God cares for us. All. the. time. Even when it doesn’t feel like it, or we don’t understand.
Anita Ojeda recently posted…Middle Grade and Young Adult Historical Novels
God does care about this boy. Keep praying for him. There are many prison ministries where the Bible and the love of Jesus changes lives of prison inmates. This boy has not forgotten you. You planted the seed in his heart and God will send someone else to water that seed and someone after that to reap it. It may take years. Your wonderful words of God’s love were not wasted. I don’t know what number my blog is but the title of it is He Wipes My Tears Away. I would love to have you read it and leave a comment. ❤️Terri
Thank you for your encouragement, Terri! I love results, instant ones even more so, so being content with planting a seed and letting the Holy Spirit do the rest over the long term isn’t easy for me. But I’m called to plant in some seasons and harvest in others.
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I’ve seen you practice this in the day to day… your students require much care.
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<3 I love them so much! They are the greatest kids to hang out with and I learn so much from them!
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I think we too often forget the world is watching and evaluating God by His people. We need to seek His grace every day to let His love and care shine through us.
And Amen to what Terri said–we can pray that the seed planted in lives will bear fruit, even though it looks like there’s no response.
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I saw the craziest thing this week–some televangelist claiming vegetarians were all satan worshipers… We really don’t think things through, do we? We should be known by our love–not our egoistic, false claims, and narrow-minded opinions.
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This hit close to home, Anita. Had a situation this morning, and this just addresses it.
Thank you for sharing.
Blessings to you, Debby! May the Holy Spirit come close and guide you in your times of need.
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We can only do what we can do,
human, mortal, flawed,
and at end it won’t depend on you,
it will be up to God.
We’re meant to reflect Heaven’s Grace,
His love, compassion, kindness,
but at last are forced to face
our selfishness, and blindness
to another’s true condition,
for we don’t want to see,
so we dismiss, and earn perdition
with ‘better them than me’,
As God face-palms with Holy Hands,
we know He loves, and understands.
Amen! I cling to this each time I worry about my kids (my own or my students).
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Your students are so blessed to have you as their teacher.
I am blessed to have THEM as my students! I learn so much from them!