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WHEN GOD TOOK ON HUMAN FORM, HE DID SO IN THE FRAILTY
OF A BABY.
AND THEN HE GREW AND DID THE HARD DAILY WORK OF A CARPENTER
UNDER OPPRESSIVE ROMAN RULE.
HE WENT THROUGH THE DEATH OF HIS EARTHLY FATHER, JOSEPH.
JESUS THEN CARED FOR HIS MOTHER, A POOR SINGLE WOMAN.
HE HUNGERED IN THE DESERT.
HE WEPT OVER THE DEATH OF A CLOSE FRIEND.
HE SUFFERED FATIGUE EVEN WHILE
HEALING AND SERVING AND TEACHING.
HE WAS DESERTED BY HIS BEST FRIENDS.
HE WAS THEN MOCKED AND ABUSED AND KILLED BY THOSE HE LOVED.
YET EVEN IN THAT DEATH HE LOVED US AND HE PRAYED FOR US.
"FATHER, FORGIVE THEM.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING."
IN JESUS WE'RE KNOWN IN OUR WEAKNESSES AND LOVED FOR WHO WE
ARE AND EMPOWERED TO BECOME OUR TRUE SELVES MADE IN GOD'S IMAGE.
JESUS FELT ALL WE FEEL AND MORE.
HE CAN RELATE TO EACH ONE OF US IN THE DAILINESS OF OUR LIVES
AND GIVE US THE HOPE WE NEED AND THE POWER TO LIVE.
I SPENT THE EARLY YEARS OF MY CHILDHOOD IN THE COUNTRY OF
IRAN AND RIGHT AROUND THE TIME THE IRANIAN REVOLUTION ROLLED
AROUND THERE WAS POLITICAL TURMOIL SUCH AS RIOTS AND SO
FORTH THAT HAPPENED IN THE STREETS AND SCHOOLS WERE
CLOSING DOWN AND PEOPLE'S HOMES WERE BEING FIRED BOMBED
AND SO FORTH EVEN MARTIAL LAW KEPT PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS.
WELL OUR FAMILY LEFT THE COUNTRY
AND ENDED UP IN ANOTHER LAND.
AND DURING THAT TIME WE HADN'T HAD A CHANCE TO SAY GOODBYE TO
RELATIVES AND FRIENDS AND SO FORTH.
IT WAS REALLY A TIME OF LONELINESS AND INSECURE
AND HOPELESSNESS FOR ME.
I WAS JUST A TEENAGER ABOUT 15 YEARS OLD.
AND THEN THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENED.
I ENDED UP GOING TO A NEW SCHOOL, MAKING NEW FRIENDS,
THE TEACHERS AND STUDENTS HAD SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT THEM AND
IT WAS THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THAT I SOON FOUND OUT ABOUT.
THEY HAD THIS HOPE IN THEM THAT I REALLY NOTICED WAS DIFFERENT
AND IT WAS SOMETHING I WANTED FOR MYSELF.
ONE STUDENT TALKED ABOUT HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS BEST
FRIEND AND HE SAID HIS BEST FRIEND WAS JESUS.
AND IT WAS SOMETHING I LONGED FOR MYSELF.
AND I SOON FOUND OUT THAT I COULD HAVE THE SAME KIND
OF FRIENDSHIP WITH JESUS.
SO ONE DAY A TEACHER SAT DOWN WITH ME AND EXPLAINED TO ME
SOME THINGS I REALLY LONGED TO HEAR ABOUT.
AND IT WAS BASICALLY JESUS WANTED TO COME INTO MY LIFE AND
GIVE ME THE HOPE I WAS LOOKING FOR.
AND IT ALL NEEDED TO COME TOGETHER AS I SURRENDERED MY
LIFE TO HIM, ALLOWED HIM TO COME IN AND TAKE CHARGE OF MY LIFE,
AND HE DID.
HE CAME INTO MY LIFE AND HE OFFERED ME A HOPE THAT HAS
GIVEN ME A NEW LEASE ON LIFE AND THAT'S IMPACTED MY LIFE
EVER SINCE THAT TIME.