Your Life Matters To Me

My life-long friend, Gene Merkl, sent me a text about an experience he had this morning. It was so profound that I wanted to share it, and he's given me permission.

Gene went to the grocery store this morning. They were cleaning the floors and he couldn't get to the coffee section. He asked about getting through and was told he'd have to wait until the floor was clean.

Gene is a persistent kind of guy, so he went to the other end of the aisle. He got the same response.

He'd decided to give up when a young man, an employee, overheard the conversation and asked, "What do you need?" Gene told him and the young man said, "Wait here."

He was back in just a bit with the coffee Gene wanted. As the young man handed him the package, Gene was overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit and said words that are beautiful to me.

"I want you to know that your life matters to me. I want to make it personal. I don't need a government or a media to say it for me. YOUR LIFE MATTERS TO ME because we were made by the same God and have the same hopes and fears and dreams. I don't know if I will ever be able to help you, but it won't be because I didn't care. Your life matters to me."

Gene nailed what I tried and failed to say with hundreds of words.

Your life matters to me. 

No matter what color skin you have, no matter what your religious preference, no matter what your lifestyle or your occupation, no matter where you live, no matter what you do, your life matters to me, because it matters to God.

I believe Gene is right. These are the words we need to be speaking to each other, especially white to black. Black to white. Your life matters to me because it matters to God.

I wish I'd said this yesterday, but I will be saying it from now on. I challenge you all to begin to say these words to all you meet, and to mean it. 

"Your life matters to me because your life matters to God."

These are words that will heal.

It's balm of Gilead, and we need to spread it over this hurting, broken nation of ours.

Your life matters to me.

"For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb... I am fearfully and wonderfully made..." Psalm 139:13,14 nasb
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In case you missed it, here's the link to All Life Matters/Every Life Matters

#yourlifematterstome