Little Suzy had known more adversity in her six short years than most people face during a lifetime. Partially paralyzed by a stroke, she had recently lost both her parents, and now she faced an MRI to determine if she had a brain tumor. The day of the test, after carefully instructing her to lie very still, the technician placed the uncomplaining little girl into the MRI machine. But as images were being taken of her head, the radiologist heard a muffled voice and noticed that Suzy’s mouth was moving.
Gently reminding her that she must lie still, the test was restarted, only to be stopped when once again there was the faint sound of her voice with that same slight movement. Becoming a bit impatient, a technologist slid her out of the machine and sternly said, “Suzy, you were talking again, and that causes blurry pictures.”
The little girl gave her a crooked smile and said, “I wasn’t talking; I was singing. You said no talking.”
After a moment’s surprised silence, another nurse asked Suzy, “What were you singing?”
The whispered reply came back, “ ‘Jesus Loves Me.’ I always sing ‘Jesus Loves Me’ when I’m happy.”
This touching, humbling story reminds us of how easily believers can get caught up in a spirit of complaining and grumbling. Such a spirit is not of God, for His beloved children are to “be . . . thankful” (Col. 3:1515And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. (Colossians 3:15)), to “rejoice evermore” (1 Thess. 5:1616Rejoice evermore. (1 Thessalonians 5:16)), to “comfort” others who are “in any trouble” (2 Cor. 1:44Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. (2 Corinthians 1:4)), to have full joy (1 John 1:44And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. (1 John 1:4)), and even to take “joyfully the spoiling of [their] goods” (Heb. 10:3434For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. (Hebrews 10:34)).
We are “redeemed . . . with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-1918Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: (1 Peter 1:18‑19)), loved individually and eternally by the Son of God (Gal. 2:2020I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)), have been given “exceeding great and precious promises” (2 Peter 1:44Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:4)), and have been blessed “with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:33Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (Ephesians 1:3)). Surely an unhappy, complaining spirit does not befit those so richly blessed. May each one seek grace to be able to say with the beloved Apostle Paul, “For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Phil. 4:1111Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. (Philippians 4:11)).
Ed.