Abba, Father

Occasionally, I have told the story about Sammy, a man from Africa who came to America to study the Bible in a Methodist college. He had a beautiful relationship with God the Father, but the students at the college made fun of him. Sammy was a simple man who had a simple prayer life. He would say, "Father, Sammy needs a blessing today. That's all this time." "Father, Sammy wants You to save these two students. That's all this time." "Father, Sammy is sick. Sammy needs to be healed of pneumonia. That's all this time."

Sammy would pray for the people who mocked and ridiculed him. "My Father, I pray for them; please save them," he prayed. "They don't know what they're doing to Sammy, Your child. That's all this time."

Sammy was very young when he died, after coming down with pneumonia. Before he died, two of the students who had mocked him came in tears and received Christ. And just before he went home to be with his heavenly Father, Sammy prayed, "My Father, thank You for hearing Your servant, Sammy. That's all this time."

When you are misunderstood and treated poorly, don't forget the heart of compassion your Father has toward you.