|
Jeffie
and Granpa
by
David Langerfeld
Jeffie was in his
playpen and he was crying. Tears were rolling
down his little cheeks, his face was red as it
could be. He was crying, and he looked pitiful
in his little baseball T-shirt and a diaper.
Then Jeffie's Grandpa entered the room; Jeffie's
little face lit up when He saw his Grandpa! He
immediately reached out his little arms in
supplication and said "Out Pa Pa out."
What is a Grandpa to do? How can someone resist
that?
So Grandpa went
over to the playpen, he bent over. He reached
down to lift his little buddy from captivity and
distress . . .
Just then "Law and Order" walked into the room.
Momma said "Jeffie, you stay right there! I'm
punishing you because you have been naughty!
Dad, leave Jeffie alone!"
What is a Grandpa to do?
Grandpa backs off
and is thinking, "I can't just pick up a book
and read it with Jeffie here. He would think I
was uncaring and distant. I can't leave the room
because he would feel like I have abandoned
him."
What is a Grandpa to do?
But you know what?
Love always finds a way. Since Grandpa couldn't
take Jeffie out of the playpen, Grandpa climbed
in with Jeffie! Grandpa said "If you are in the
playpen buddy, I'm in the playpen too. What are
you in for? What is your sentence?"
Having Grandpa join him in his "prison cell"
brought Jeffie great comfort and joy. In the
midst of his captivity, Jeffie no longer felt so
alone.
What Jeffie's
Grandpa did is also a picture of what Jesus
Christ did for us when He came to Earth as a
baby. God the Father yearned to reach down into
our "playpen of captivity" and pull us out. He
could not... because of our disobedience...
because of our sin. So what did God do?
God climbed into our "playpen" with us!
When Jesus Christ
entered into our "playpen of captivity," He took
the sin and disobedience that should have been
ours alone, releasing us from our captivity...
allowing us the opportunity to experience the
fullness of life God has for us!
This is love: not
that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent
his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1
John 4:10 NIV)
But God demonstrates his own love for us in
this: While we were still sinners, Christ died
for us. (Romans 5:8 NIV)
| 
