A Nugget from New Life Network
Scripture for the Day – December 26, 2019
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:27)
We are presently celebrating Christmas in Collierville, TN with our son Danny Coudriet and all his family. Some of you know Danny’s story and some do not. We took Danny in when he was 12 years old. His birth father had kicked him out of their house, and he walked many miles, in the middle of the night, to get to our home. We went through the legal procedures to get custody of Danny and raised him along with our two sons.
As I look back on Danny’s life, I can see God’s hand on him through much heartache. He lost his mother at eleven years of age in a car wreck. He lost his blood family at twelve. He lost his wife in a house fire in December 2018. Now, you may look at all that and think how in the world one individual could deal with all that. Well, God has a heart for the widows and orphans that we just can’t even comprehend. In this case, God used us to raise a fine young man. We conducted the wedding of Danny and Kari and she was a strong woman of God and wonderful mother to their four children. She also had a large wonderful family that took Danny in and picked up the torch when we were transferred to Florida. When Kari passed away, their local church and the families in that church surrounded Danny with love and support and are still doing that.
There is a scripture in the Gospel of Luke that God brought to my attention as we sat eating Christmas dinner at Danny’s house. We were surrounded by a multitude of Kari’s family and their church family:
And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting. (Luke 18:29-30)
I have always looked at that scripture and thought of it in the light that someone was leaving of their own accord to follow Jesus. But, in light of what I have seen in Danny’s life, I also think it shows the heart of God for those that leave involuntarily, or lose a loved one. When Danny was kicked out, God provided a family. When Danny lost his wife, God provided many families. God’s heart is moved with compassion for the widows and orphans regardless of the circumstances. We should always remember that!!!
How did Danny get through? He got through it with God’s help and the help of the Body of Christ and he is doing fine.
