He Knows How We Feel

When my son Ryan was just a little guy, he had a favorite blanket that was worn to shreds. My wife, Marilyn, washed it with care because it was so frayed on the edges. We tried to give him a new one, but he loved the old one.

On a trip from our home in Argentina to Brazil, we spent the night in a hotel. The next morning we had breakfast and continued our journey. We drove for several hours and then discovered the special blanket was missing. In an effort to console our distraught, little son, I promised to stop at the hotel on the way back and ask about the blanket. That promise really seemed to calm him down. In reality, I didn’t think there would be much hope of finding the beloved blanket. If anyone saw it, they wouldn’t think twice about tossing the worn-out thing in the trash. On our return to Argentina, Ryan asked often about his blanket. When we finally arrived at the hotel, I inquired if anyone had found a little boy’s blanket. The manager said, “Just a minute,” and returned with a blanket. He informed me that a maid had brought it to him and told him this has great value to someone—so he put it in the safe and waited to see if the owner would return.

I have never forgotten how excited and comforted our little boy was to recover his blanket. Though he was still little, he was experiencing anxiety; however, it helped him to know that we all understood and were concerned about what he was feeling.

There isn’t a person on this planet that doesn’t need that same experience of knowing someone cares. We all want someone to validate our feelings with words like “I know what you are going through” or “I feel for you right now.” It does something for us. Every child needs for her parents to validate her feelings. Every husband or wife needs their spouse to validate their emotions.

There is no one who can do that like Jesus can. He came to this earth and took on a human body so he could validate our human experience. The writer of the book of Hebrews paints a beautiful picture of Jesus as our intercessor going to God on our behalf. He understands and is capable of comprehending our needs because he has experienced them.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:14-17).

We never met the kind maid in the city of Posadas, Argentina who safeguarded Ryan’s blanket because she recognized it was valuable, but I am grateful for people like that. Maybe there haven’t been too many people in your life like this lady, and you feel no one understands your hurt. Let me remind you there is one who does, and his name is Jesus.