"My Spot"

The little girl put her elbows on the counter and used the toes of her multi-colored Crocs to clamber up the wooden half-wall.

Her goal: to see the flavors of gelato waiting behind the glass display case. Waiting there, it seemed, just for her.

I remember the beauty of being a little girl. The world seemed to exist for my delight.

My spot of delight wasn't a gelato store, however; it was MY Creek. I even had a special spot in MY Creek--MY Spot. In MY Spot, the water

trickled slowly over a ledge, onto a large, exposed tree root. It made a sweet gurgle-y sound that could drown out the soft sounds of the woods (as long as no one else was around). I delighted more in that spot than others who visited that same spot. My brothers and my friends would pass it right on by. That little 4-inch tall waterfall was MY Spot, and I delighted in it.

Can you believe that God thinks of you the same way that I thought of My Spot? When he looks at you, he says, “That’s MY Daughter. Th

at’s MY Son.” Can you imagine that he delights in you, like you’re the best spot in the whole creek? Could it be true that no one delights in you quite as much as he does? Others might simply pass you by, but oh no, not God. He stops and cherishes and treasures. You are HIS.

How much do we all need to hear this now? God knows our names. He knows our intricacies and our faults. Even when we feel like we feel

unknown by people who used to know us… our friendships that have been splintered, our family members who have passed away, our communities where we feel disengaged. Even in the midst of all this, God never stops thinking about you, delighting in you, loving you... because you are HIS.

Jesus reminds us of this truth, when he compares himself to a shepherd, caring for us, his sheep. He knows us and loves us. He cares f

or us and knows what is best for us. We are His.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay do

wn my life for the sheep. (John 10:14-15)

Let’s not let it stop there, though. Remember also that he knows the names of our neighbors, our coworkers, and our kids’ friends. Jesus showed us the heart of the Father in this:

“I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock

and one shepherd.” (John 10:16)

So the next time you are feeling unknown or uncherished, remember that the Good Shepherd has claimed you as his own. He delights in you. Spread his delight to those around you to--you might just find spots of delight popping up all around.