I was a child that had a lot of freckles. This caused me to be teased and I disliked them immensely. I hated being called Freckles or Freckle Face. I decided one day to do something about this problem. My Mother had Vanishing Cream. I took it and rubbed it on my face fully expecting to get rid of my dreaded freckles. Nothing happened. I was very disappointed about this. My Mother suggested that, as I had a Doctor’s appointment soon, that I ask the Doctor for a solution to my problem. When I was with the Doctor, I mentioned that I had tried Vanishing Cream on my freckles and that it didn’t work, and I wanted something to get rid of my freckles. He took this very seriously and looked and me and said he didn’t understand why I would want to do that. He then told me that freckles were very special, not everyone could have them, and he wanted me to know that every freckle represented a spot where I had been kissed by the sun. I didn’t know that and was not only appeased but proud that the sun had chosen me to kiss. My freckles never bothered me after that. I loved this Doctor until I was 5 and he betrayed me and took my tonsils out.

Wouldn’t it be great if we had a Vanishing Cream to take away our troubles? We could just make everything bad disappear. But as Christians we have something better.  We have a God who loved us before we were born. He may not give us a Vanishing Cream to get rid of our troubles, but he does something better. He takes them on his shoulders, and he carries us through the storms and the bad times and the days when we want to give up. He doesn’t cost $4.99 at the Drug Store and doesn’t come in a jar with an expiration date. He is the everlasting God and loves us freely. When we disappoint and fail, he never gives up on us.

Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Lord, Thank you for your daily presence in our lives. Thank you for the love you have given us. Thank you for those times when you carry us, when we are weak and lost, when we don’t know which way to turn. Be with those who are suffering, those that have received life altering news, those who are grieving, those who are seeking you. Be with our Pastor and his family, bless his ministry. Be with our staff and leaders, guide them as they seek to do your will. May we be your church, may we be the hands and feet of Christ. May all who enter our church find you waiting to change and make their lives better.  

In Jesus name, Amen.

Grace Epperson