In his wonderful book, “Prayer,” Philip Yancey shares this story:

   “During a trip to Nepal, a physical therapist gave my wife and me a tour of the Green Pastures Hospital, which specializes in leprosy rehabilitation. As we walked along an outdoor corridor, I noticed one of the ugliest human beings I have ever seen. Her hands were bandaged in gauze, she had deformed stumps where most people have feet, and her face showed the worst ravages of that cruel disease. Her nose had shrunken away so that, looking at her, I could see into her sinus cavity. Her eyes, mottled and covered with callus, let in no light; she was totally blind. Scars covered patches of skin on her arms.

    This creature crawled to the very edge of a walkway, pulling herself along the ground by planting her elbows and dragging her body like a wounded animal. I’m ashamed to say my first thought was, “She’s a beggar and she wants money.”  

   My wife, who has worked among the down-and-out, had a much more holy reaction. Without hesitation she bent down to the woman and put her arm around her. The old woman rested her head against Janet’s shoulder and began singing a song in Nepali, a tune that we all instantly recognized: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.””

Oh how sweet to know this truth!  No matter where we are or what our circumstances may be, “Jesus loves me, this I know!”

He loves my  grandbabies who sing this song with gusto and He loves the rock star who sings the sensual songs of the world.

He loves those who are hurting and those who are happy; those who ail and those with perfect health.

He came to our planet and gave up His life so that we could experience this love.  All that is required is to believe that He died for our sins and accept His forgiveness.

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved…For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.””  ~ Romans 10:9,13

Amen!