He Knew What Was Coming

Do you ever feel like you’re a target? That for some reason you have stepped into the line of fire. Maybe ticked someone off for some reason. Sure! We all do at some point in our journey. It would be really easy to get all wrapped up in our reactions, our feelings — to fall into that self-centered state of mind where it’s not fair, it’s too much, why me.

John 21:15–17 — Jesus asks Peter three times: Do you love me? Peter, of course, says, “Yes, Lord. You know that I love you.” And each time Jesus replies: “Feed my sheep.” Peter was justly upset. He knows that Jesus knows, so why the third degree?

Jesus knew what was coming for Peter. He knew that his life was going to be one of hardship and pain. He wanted him to remember that conversation.

Dr. Nelson Carswell was my doctor, my kids’ doctor, and I loved him — but he could be harsh. One day he had really laid into an upset mama at the doors to pediatrics, and he stopped by the switchboard on his way out just to say hey. I asked him why he was so hard on these moms. I will never forget what he said, in the saddest voice: “If I make them mad enough at me, they will remember every word I said. That’s the most important gift I can give them.”

I think Jesus was giving Peter a gift of remembrance. When times get hard — and they do — we tend to focus on the hard. And when that hard comes because of our commitment to follow Jesus, it can give the Devil a chance to infiltrate our memories. A place to plant doubt or anger or frustration. Don’t allow that to enter your heart nor your head. Remember.

My answer to the hard? So what? I love Jesus. He knows that I do. Everything else is irrelevant.

Love, Pam

P.S. If you didn’t send a thank you this morning for the rain, stop and do it now — and go ahead and ask for a double portion. We need it. I do love the rain.