Danielle approached her boss’s office. His door was closed, and she could hear his raised voice on the phone. This was the third day in a row she’d tried to schedule a meeting with him. Sighing, she walked back to her cubicle. She really could use some guidance on this project. She settled for sending him an email, and turned to other projects.
At the end of the day, her boss passed by her cubicle on the way out the door. It had been four hours, and he hadn’t answered her email. She leaped up to catch him as he headed down the hall. “Mr. Olsen, I’d really like to talk to you about the inspection results.”
Mr. Olsen called over his shoulder. “No time today. Put something on my calendar for tomorrow.”
Danielle shook her head. It wouldn’t matter. He wouldn’t have any more time for her tomorrow than he had all week. It was the same every day. Sure, he was busy, but didn’t she matter at all? She frowned. It was no use working late if she wasn’t going to get any answers today. Maybe Mona would be back tomorrow. Mona had been sick the past few days, but if she was back, she might be able to help. Danielle packed up her bag and walked out to her car.
When she headed outside, a light snow began to fall. How she loved this time of year. She stood outside for a minute just soaking in the quiet beauty, then got into her car and started it up. The car beeped and a mysterious warning light lit up. Uggh. What did that light even mean? She picked up her phone.
“Hey Dad. I’m leaving work now and my car is displaying a weird warning light. Do you know…”
Dad interrupted. “Danielle, you’re not a child anymore. Check the owner’s manual. I don’t have time for this.” The line went dead.
Danielle swallowed hard. She would not cry. Just because her boss and her dad had no time for her and her car had some kind of problem was no reason to lose it. Dad was right. She was an adult. She opened the glove compartment and pulled out the owner’s manual, flipping to the section with the warning lights. Danielle sagged against the seat in relief. Low tire pressure. That wasn’t such a big deal. The tires were probably low because it was the first cold day this winter. She drove to the gas station and filled the tires with air. Sure enough, the light reset. One problem solved. As for the other two, well, they wouldn’t get fixed today.
She entered her apartment, threw her purse and keys on the coffee table, and flopped on the sofa. Her roommate, Jill, came into the room. “What’s wrong?”
“Did you ever feel invisible?”
“What do you mean?”
“Just that I’ve been having problems getting people to listen to me lately. I feel like I don’t matter at all.”
Jill sat next to her on the sofa. “I know exactly what you need.” She patted Danielle’s leg and stood. “Let’s go.”
“Where are we going?”
“I’m taking you out for tacos and then we’re going to church for the mid-week service.”
Danielle managed a weak smile. “That could work.” She stood and squeezed Jill’s shoulder. “Thanks.”
After stuffing herself with tacos, chips, and guacamole, Danielle eased into a seat in the church next to Jill and allowed the music to fill her heart. After a few songs, her heavy heart lifted, but the overarching sense of inadequacy remained.
Pastor Mike stood at the front of the room. “Turn in your Bibles to Zephaniah 3.”
Danielle blinked. Zephaniah? Where even was Zephaniah? She flipped to the table of contents and found the book.
Pastor Mike read through the chapter and stopped after verse 17.
“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
He gazed out at the congregation. “Have you ever considered that? Almighty God, the creator of the universe, delights in you. He created you so He could have a relationship with you. He loves you so much, he rejoices over you with singing.”
“So often we think of God the way we think of other people. If we have a request, we don’t want to bother Him. But He wants to hear from you. He longs to hear from you. God doesn’t merely tolerate you. He loves you so much He sent His Son to die so you could be with Him in heaven.”
Pastor Mike took a drink of water, then continued. “I have three grandkids. The oldest, Jimmy, is four. When his mom brings him to our house, he runs in and gives me a hug. That’s the best feeling in the world. I love that little guy so much. When he asks me to read a story to him or play a game with him, I’m delighted to do so because I love him and want to spend time with him. And I’m an imperfect and sinful human. God, our perfect creator, loves you so much more than I love Jimmy. He wants to hear from you. He wants to spend time with you.”
“If you ever question your self-worth, remember how much God loves you. You are His child. He has adopted you into His family, and nothing can ever separate you from His love.”
Tears streamed down Danielle’s cheeks. Yes, God loved her so much that He sent Jesus to die for her. As amazing as that was, He loved her still, today. He gave her Jill, a caring roommate, who brought her here tonight, and gave Pastor Mike the exact words she needed to hear. Dad and Mr. Olsen were not God. They were just men. Busy imperfect men who failed her. But her God never would.
Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ephesians 1: 4-5
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.
Precious Lord, thank You for Your great love for us. Love we do not deserve but You freely give. So often we confuse the creation with the creator. Nothing can take away our worth as Your children. Because You love us, You want to hear from us. Our prayers don’t bother You. You are happy when You hear from us. Help us to remember that, Lord, and spend more time with You, the One who loves us more than any human can. As we are filled by Your love, help us to pour it out upon others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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