You are precious!

     One day, an elderly couple came to me. "Pastor Lee, I do not want to come to church any more!" they said. Wondering why, I waited for their words. "I started forgetting names and words. I am so upset when I can not continue my sentence and forget the names of the people that I meet."
     I understood them perfectly. I shared with them my experiences. As a foreign student, I could not speak English in the class rooms and understand others everywhere. I was upset and frustrated. I could perfectly understand how they would feel. They were glad that I could share same feeling with them.
    Then I said also that I would see them as whole persons. I do not see just looks and the current condition. I see them as precious persons who have had great lives. I can see their youth, their contributions, their joys and achievements. They may be old now but they have done great things for themselves and for the community. That is how God sees them and I shared God's view with them.
      When they left, they had renewed joy and hope. They came back to church next Sunday. I give thanks to God when people discover their true value as God would see them. The evil spirit is the spirit of lies. It keeps talking to people that they are not valuable. It is my job, therefore, to constantly remind them of the fact that everybody is precious in the eyes of God. 
     You are precious, my friend, to God. You matter to God and you matter to me!