Just What Is So Special About This Drawing?

Take a look at the drawing above? Does anything stick out? At first glance, nothing really appears to pop off the page, but if you look closer... you might see why I decided to write a blog on this drawing. 

I was cleaning out my desk yesterday and found this binder from 2012. Needless to say, it has been a long time since my school classroom has gone through a "Spring Cleaning". This binder was tucked in the bottom drawer of a seldom used filing cabinet. I was just cleaning to pass the time, found this binder, and decided to see what it had inside of it.

It turned out to be some kid's old band binder. He had sheet music and a class syllabus, among other things. But I found this drawing in the very back of this kid's binder on a yellow divider. I noticed that he had tried to scratch out something that he had written and I was curious to know what he was trying to hide. If you look closely, you can make out:

" 1 day I hope I'm symphonic in 8th. That way my dad could be proud."

This band student yearned to be in the advanced symphonic band as opposed to the lower-level concert band. He didn't want this achievement to look cool or popular; he wanted to be in symphonic band so his dad would be proud of him. 

I wonder what was going through this kid's mind when he wrote this. I wonder what his relationship with his father was like. I wonder the condition of his heart and I wonder if he felt loved by his father. 

This kid wanted so badly to make his dad proud that he would doodle it on the back of his band notebook. Obviously it was something that was constantly on his mind. 

I think of some of our the kids in our program  and how badly they want someone to be proud of them. They want love and affirmation any way that they can get it. They want someone to pat them on the back and say "Job well done, son. I am proud of you." I think back to my teenage years and can recall having that exact same feeling. A heart that yearns to be loved. A kid who needs to hear "You are loved. I am proud of you. Job well done." 

I am so thankful for the mentors in my life who invested in me. I am thankful for my mother for laying it all down to give me a better life and I am thankful that the Lord reconciled the relationship between my father and I. These things have had a huge impact on my life!

But I am even more thankful for Jesus Christ for saving me and loving me no matter what. He snatched me out of the mud and placed my feet on solid ground. This kid tried to use his band skills to earn the love of his father. This makes sense. Worldly love usually comes as a result of good deeds. For some people, they try to earn love through their job or their looks. They try to earn love by their grades or their bench press. But the love of Jesus Christ comes from nothing. We need not do anything to earn the love of Christ. His grace takes care of that. Even better is we can't do anything to lose it either!

Thank the Lord today that He loves us right now just as we are. I praise the Lord for sending His Son to die for a sinner like me. I am thankful for the new life and clean slate that He gives me daily. This is why it is called "The Good News."

I pray this young man found what he was looking for. I hope his heart is filled today with the love of his earthly father. But I also pray that this young man knows deep in his heart that he has a heavenly Father who loves him regardless of his actions. That kind of love frees people up. The love of Jesus Christ truly transforms people.