Yesterday my kids and I were walking through the story of Saul’s encounter with Jesus in Acts 9. We drew two pictures of Saul – one before his encounter with Jesus and one after. We talked about why Saul was on his way to Damascus on the day he encountered Jesus – his hatred for the the Christians, his angry threats, his desire to rid the country of them, his plan to imprison them. And then…I read them 1 Corinthians 13…
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;[b]6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
“Who wrote this?” I asked my captive audience.
“Does anyone know who wrote this letter to the church in Corinth?”
Silence. I could see my older ones knew the answer as they knowingly smiled and nodded their heads as if in on a big secret.
“Anybody?”
“Wasn’t in Peter?”
“Nope,” I responded pointing to the picture of Saul on the whiteboard behind me.
“It was this guy.”
Audible gasps filled the room.
“What!?!” Ezekiel, my ten year old, spoke out for all of them.
“How could this dude be that dude? Like…how did HE write THAT?”
To this series of questions there was only one response: “JESUS.”
Jesus.
He is the answer.
He is the only one who could take a murderous, bitter, angry man and transform him into the gracious apostle who would write, “Love is kind.”
Nobody else could do that.
Only Jesus.
A few weeks ago I wrote a song called, “God Changes Things.” I have attached it above if you would like to take a listen. While writing the song, my heart was so overwhelmed with joy and tears and gratitude. I look at my kids, my husband, myself and I see proof. We are walking testimonies of a God who changes things, a God who writes a good story.
A boy who couldn’t read now reads.
A boy who was mute now prays out loud for dinner.
A girl with weak muscles and an inability to gain weight now chases her brother to tackle him to the ground.
A kid who couldn’t receive love is now the first in line for hugs.
And a mom who was bound by fear for years had been set free to walk in courage.
God changes things.
Let that truth wrap around your weary soul tonight like a warm blanket.
Don’t give up.
There is HOPE.
His name is Jesus.
God changes things…