My aunt was managing a sidewalk sale and asked if I would go pick up some food for a few of my family members. They ordered some burgers from the local bar uptown.
My little cousin had spent most of the morning tagging along since she wanted to meet the new kitty, so after I put her to work helping me vacuum at the carwash, we headed uptown to pick up the order.
Minus a few people eating lunch and playing pool, the place was pretty empty. We sat on the stools and waited for our order to finish. I made conversation about the weather and the Cooking Channel with the bartender as the burgers sizzled on the grill in the background.
As I looked around at the empty bar, I couldn’t help but think about all that had happened the night before. Just hours earlier, the place was packed. Music blared in the background. Smoke filled the air. Pool cues were chalked up. Every bar stool and table was full.
I thought about all the people who couldn’t drive home because they’d partied just a little too much. I thought about men who thought they’d just stop by for a drink after a long day’s work, only to leave hours later with someone they would have a one-night stand with. I thought about the women dancing to the jukebox who would later be on the other side of that one-night-stand.
I thought about my friend who walked away from Jesus a couple months ago and now spends much of her time drinking away her problems in that very place. My stomach ached as the cook pulled the fries out to drain.
I thought about all the times I fell asleep on the pool table as a little girl because my dad and step-mom chose the life of addiction over and over again.
Before I go any further, let me say this. I’m not saying it’s wrong to drink. I’m not saying it’s a sin to sit in the bar and have a drink with friends. What I am saying, is that when we go beyond that, we’re asking for trouble spiritually. It’s not part of God’s plan for us.
Then I looked at my sweet little cousin and prayed that she would never know this life. I prayed under my breath that she would always know her value. I prayed for the people who would walk back into the bar that very night — that they would experience the true love of Christ. I prayed against the darkness in the air.
I looked into her innocent eyes and said, “The world is full of mean people. As you grow up, that won’t change. There will always be mean people. But don’t you ever let someone steal your value.” She looked at me as though I had two heads and said, “huh?”
“You are valuable. God loves you so much. Sometimes the world is mean and doesn’t want you to believe God loves you. Don’t you ever let anyone take that away from you. You are valuable.” She smiled and nodded her head.
We paid for our order and stepped back into the car and went on about our day. But my prayer is that she holds onto those words like her young life depends on them, because her life does depend on them.
What if many of the people sitting in that bar night after night truly knew their value? What if they actually believed they were loved by an unbelievable God? What if they chose the light over the darkness?
What if?
So, I say the same thing to you and me that I said to my sweet little cousin. You are valuable. God loves you so much. Sometimes the world is mean and doesn’t want you to believe God loves you. Don’t you ever let anyone take that away from you. You are valuable.
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