My Nana used to say that her doctor had read only one more book than she had. Not sure what her point was. I don’t remember her ever reading a book or owning one. Doesn’t say much for her doctor, does it? Nana was kind of an odd duck in other ways, as well. But I loved her. After all, she was the only grandparent that I knew.

Recently, I had one of those body scans that require you to be tubed in this gargantuan machine that moves back and forth, sketching out all kinds of potential problems in your body. Claustrophobia, an unwelcome guest, accompanies me inside this casket of sorts. Uncomfortable placing my arms over my head for almost an hour. Pain and suffering for what? Had this doctor read one more book than me?

Before getting into this wonder box, waiting an hour for some fancy goop to travel my innards, I was reading ‘Les Miserables’ by Victor Hugo. It was my fourth time relishing this 1400+ page, 165-year-old classic masterpiece. Next to the Bible, my favorite tome.

When led into the torture chamber by the doctor-technician, he asks me what I’m reading. He’d never heard of it. And what was it about? Clueless about ‘Les Miz’? Not only the book, the musical play, or even the movie? Could this be my Nana’s doctor of ill-reading? And, can he scrutinize and make sense of my scan results? Seems he did. So he said, and so I hoped.

How about God? Is He aware of us? Does He have even a smidgeon of an idea about what we go through down here on planet Earth? Listen to Psalm 56: 8–‘You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?’

What? Yes, His book. Think about this verse. It’s saying that anything in our lives, even our tossing and turning in bed at night with all kinds of dark fears and anxieties, is cared for by God. Even our tears He cherishes. As if kept in a bottle. And recorded in a book He writes and keeps.

That tells me that our Lord really loves us. He cares so much, more than just putting our pictures on a refrigerator magnet. He has His eyes on us. He keeps tabs on everything. He minds the store. With our Lord, there’s no ‘Going Out of Business’ sale. Nary a sign that says ‘Weather Permitting’ or ‘Closed From Noon to One’. We’re never out of His tender, loving care. Never.

This tells me that I can relax and trust Him. Will I? Will you? With everything? Leaving nothing out? Really?

Thank you, Jesus, for loving me so much. Amen.