The least of these...

It amazes me sometimes where my thoughts go. This morning I was watching our fish in the aquarium... We have 2 fish that are ill, its looking like they may not make it. As I was watching the fish, the 2 that are sick stuck together... and wherever they swam all the other fish would move away and swim on the other side of the tank. They avoided them at all costs, occasionally one of the fish will go over and chase one off and bully the sick. No matter how sick they are, they defended one another to the bullying fish. It got me to thinking about our lives... How many times the weak, sick, needy, and "different" get alienated by the "norm" crowd. Even fish do it! Makes me sad that this is our world and the way so many live... pushing away those that are different or unfamiliar. I've been guilty of this in my past, but in high school God opened my eyes to seeing people as he sees them. I'm not saying since then I have been perfect, but I have always tried to see others through his eyes. So then I started thinking about our adoption process, and how we have really learned who our true friends are... those that aren't  "comfortable" with our decision, and those that don't agree or understand have much like the fish, pushed us aside, avoided us, even bullied us a little. That's okay, we knew there would be people in our lives who wouldn't get it, we knew there would be people that wouldn't like it... but to be frank, we aren't doing this for them. We are doing this for God, and for our future child. We don't seek man's approval, but God's. There are so many times in life where because you step out and do something different than the usual, you are mocked, betrayed, and disliked. This made me to start to think of Jesus, especially with Easter coming up. How he must have felt when those that he was dying on that cross for mocked him. They didn't know... They didn't understand. He knew that, and that is why he loves us anyway. He laid his life down knowing by many it wouldn't be appreciated.

Mostly I just want other Christians to consider the weak, sick, and needy... how do you act towards them? Jesus washed his servants feet.... are you willing to do this for others? See them through Christ's eyes... open your hearts and lives to people who are different, embrace them the way Christ made them. On the radio the other day they were talking about Autism with it being Autism Awareness Day, and how so many look down on those that have "struggles". They commented towards the verse in the bible where the people asked why the blind man was blind, was it something he did? or his parents did? And Jesus replied, so that God would be glorified in his life. (paraphrasing a little). But we should love and support those that are different, their lives glorify Christ daily as they live as "the least of these". The least of these has a special place in God's heart, I guarantee you. Open your heart, your eyes, and love on others today!