Jenny

​Jenny wears a smile as pure as mountain spring water. She does not understand the girls sarcastically mocking her bowl-cut hairstyle because for her there is no sarcasm. But she does know pain.  When the teams are picked for kick ball, she wonders why they don’t want her to play.  When she drops her tray of food at lunch and they laugh and point their fingers her spirit droops.  When the 4th grade bully rubs mud on her new jacket and calls her “stupid” it takes a small box of tissues to dry her tears.  Yet, when he breaks his hand playing football, she will be the one who brings him flowers from her mother’s garden.

Jeff and Candace wonder why their child had to be different. Their dreams for their firstborn girl were thrashed against the cold rocks of reality.  There is no pill or exercise or magic word to end Down Syndrome. Yes, they fiercely love their brown-haired girl with the crooked smile and almond-shaped eyes—whose undying quest is to please them.  They laugh when she giggles and ache when she suffers. Aside from the wallet-draining trips to the doctor, their big challenge is dismissing the questions.  What if she had been “normal”?  Why are people mean and insensitive?  Does anyone truly understand our world?  Why did God let this happen? . . .
 
Meditation
Zephaniah 3:19—Yes, at that time I will deal with all who afflict you.  I will save the lame and gather the scattered; I will make those who were disgraced throughout the earth receive praise and fame.  
 
Unless Jesus returns first, the day will come when Jenny dies. Then she will face the greatest Lover of all time.  He will fill her new body with unspeakable joy and wrap her in a hug that takes away the breath of the nearest angels.  She will take His hand and walk the gold streets to the applause of an inspired multitude. She will give voice to the words she knew in her heart and now can sing with the choir, “Great and awe-inspiring are Your works, Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are Your ways, King of the Nations” (Rev. 15:3).  
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Who is afflicted?  Who is lame in walk with ridicule dogging every step?  Look up!  The Lord who understands will deal with the afflicters.  He will gather the scattered because He can.  Don’t let faith waver.  Don’t drink the cup filled with pity’s tears.  Drink deeply from the Living Water.  Faith in the Lion finds in His glory the eternal antidote to affliction. Walking with Jesus is walking to fame.
 
Inspiration
I believe in the name of the Son of God.  Therefore I am in Him, having redemption and life by His Spirit.  And He is in me, and all fitness is in Him.  To Him I belong by purchase, conquest, and self-surrender; to me He belongs for all my hourly need.  There is no veil or cloud between my Lord and me.  There is no obstacle to His indwelling and infilling.  I yield my entire being to Him; and what I cannot do He can.—F.B. Meyer in Meet For The Master’s Use
 
©2012 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)