Daily Devotional for July 6, 2018
After Snowbunny
Whiskers, Lincoln’s kitten, leaped into the air and batted the shoestring Lincoln was swinging back and forth. “I don’t care how nice Todd is, no one can ever take Dad’s place,” Lincoln told Uncle Shawn. “I don’t want a stepfather.” He sighed. His dad had died a few years before, and now his mom was getting remarried.
“Todd isn’t trying to take your dad’s place, Lincoln,” said Uncle Shawn. “He’s a good man who loves your mom, and he wants to be there for you too.”
“I don’t care,” Lincoln said. “He’s not Dad, so he might as well stop trying to make me like him.”
When Whiskers got tired of the shoelace, he jumped up onto Lincoln’s lap and purred. Lincoln smiled and petted the kitten’s head.
“How long ago did you lose your first cat?” Uncle Shawn asked.
“Snowbunny? A few months ago,” Lincoln replied sadly.
“That’s what I thought, so I’m really surprised to see you treating Whiskers the way you do,” Uncle Shawn said. “You’re just as nice to him as you were to Snowbunny.”
Lincoln frowned. “So? What’s wrong with that?”
“Don’t you miss Snowbunny?” Uncle Shawn asked.
“Of course,” said Lincoln, “but Snowbunny is gone, and now I have Whiskers. He’s a different cat, but he’s special in his own way, and I’m glad I have him.”
Uncle Shawn nodded. “I understand, and I think it’s a bit similar to your situation with Todd. I don’t think Todd is trying to be the same as your dad. He knows you loved your dad and would never try to take his place. But if you give him a chance, I think you’ll be glad to have him as part of your family. More than that, since he loves Jesus, he’s already part of your Christian family. I think God may have put him in your life to help you heal and show you how much He loves you—and you can show Todd God’s love in return by giving him a chance and respecting him as your stepfather.”
Lincoln looked at the kitten purring in his lap. “Okay, Uncle Shawn,” he said. “I guess I can do that.” – Susan Arcand
How about you?
Do you have a stepparent? Most stepparents try very hard to fill a difficult position. They know they can never replace your mom or dad, but they can be a wonderful presence and help in your life, especially if they know Jesus. Remember that Jesus is with you in all the changes you face in life and trust Him to help you show His love to stepparents.
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