God loves you

We were sitting on the steps outside, enjoying the sunshine, the laughter of children and the game of tag that was going on with volunteers. Some of the smaller children were hanging out with us and telling us about their week. Jamie, always dramatic, was on a roll in his story, liberally adding "Oh my GAWWWWD" with flair to each sentence. I finally asked him that since God was my friend, I wished he wouldn't use his name that way. What happened next, I couldn't have predicted: he flipped out. In two seconds this funny, sweet seven year old turned into an angry and bitter little man. He lashed out, telling me that God was... well, words no seven-year old should know. He shouted that God hated him and his family, that God was stupid and deaf so he hated him anyway... and ran off. We sat in stunned silence until one volunteer softly said, "his fourteen year old sister committed suicide last weekend. Lets give him a break."

What do you do? I wanted very badly to address his outburst, and the accusations he made against my Lord... but there was something more going on here, so we held an impromptu prayer meeting on those steps, in the middle of the game of tag. Less than five minutes later, Jamie came skipping back, and as if nothing had happened, sat himself down on my lap and pulled my arms around him. I gladly hugged back, and then something happened that I can only say was an answer to prayer: we were given words.

"Jamie, do you know that I love you?", I asked.
"Of course!" his smile was back, and he had no hesitation.
"Do you know how I love you?"
He looked confused.
"See, God loves me, but he also loves you. So he filled my heart up and told me that I should go love Jamie, because then everytime Jamie knows that I love him, he will know that God loves him."
I paused.
"Jamie, do you believe I love you?" a volunteer asked.
Jamie snorted. "Of COOOURSE you love me." he rolled his eyes.
"But I only met you two days ago. How could you know I love you already?" the volunteer pressed.
Jamie paused. "I just do." he finally decided.
"You see, God told me to love you, too. He loves you so much, he didn't just send Kirsten to show that he loved you, he sent me as well."
"Do you believe I love you?" yet another volunteer stepped in. Jamie nodded. "My love for you comes from God, too."
"And mine," another volunteer added, "And every other volunteer here. We're all Christians, so we believe that God sent us here to show you how much he loves you."

"He loves you, Jamie." I whisper in his ear. He is quiet, and he pulls my arms around him a little tighter.


We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. I John 4:19-21