In our Life Groups at Stevens Creek we are working through Rick Warren’s study, “40 Days of Love.” It is based on 1 Corinthians 13, The Love Chapter.

In our groups I have been challenged to purposefully go out of my way to love people. You think that would be easy, but how often do you really look for an oppurtunity to “love” someone?

Today, an eight year old boy in a wheelchair came into the store with his mother. I looked across the store and I prayed for him. After a quick prayer I felt God say to me, “Go love on him.” I walked over to the boy and started talking to him.

I learned his name was Nicholas. Nicholas doesn’t speak all that well. His mother shared with me that he has cerebral palsy. She explained that Nicholas had a tracheotomy removed last year and he is still having trouble with his speech. I quickly learned that Nicholas could communicate pretty well in one syllable words, but anything beyond that was difficult. 

When I started to talk to Nicholas his eyes lit up. I spoke to him about a few things he seemed to be taking a keen interest in. I found out that he thinks pearls are “cool” and that he likes computers. As he wheeled himself around the store he went toward the watch case. Nicholas became very excited as he started shouting, “Jeff, Jeff, Jeff” as he pointed to a picture of Jeff Gordon. I learned through a series of questions and excited answers that Nicholas likes NASCAR and he really likes Jeff Gordon, even though his mother wants him to root for Tony Stewart or Dale, Jr. I showed Nicholas a watch book with a lot of pictures of Jeff Gordon. Nicholas couldn’t get back to his mother quick enough to show her the Jeff Gordon watch he wanted.

After Nicholas left the store, I stepped in the back to compose myself. I though I was going to shed a few tears, but then I realized no tears were needed. Nicholas is a great kid. He is confined to a wheel chair. He is eight years old and has difficulty talking. He has acid reflux to such a degree that he can’t eat (he is fed through a feeding tube). All that doesn’t matter to Nicholas. He is a happy kid full of life and I thank God that He brought Nicholas into my life if only for a brief few minutes.

Maybe what I heard God say to me wasn’t, “Go love on him,” maybe I heard God say, “Go, get loved by him.”