Have you ever wondered if someone knew the Lord? Have you ever wondered if God was real and if some person knew of this God and of His teachings? What if this man named Jesus was really God’s son in Heaven and really changed peoples lives and really gave true peace and offered comfort and healing unlike anything…ever? If He were real..where could He be found? Where would He be seen? How could it be known that He is and we are the ones who need Him? What if I wanted His rewards and His righteousness….and anything that might come with it?
Where would you go?
Look at what Jesus says….
"Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. 41 The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward." -Mathew 10:40-42 ESV
He is referring to those who believe in Him; His disciples. He told these words to His first disciples…and these words still ring true for us today. Maybe you have seen someone or encountered someone that you thought was a “Mother Teresa” of sorts and you could not believe how sweet they were or how kind they were to your family, etc. Perhaps you wondered….I feel so good and so happy when I am around this person – they seem to glow but what is that thing about them that points me to this desire like I have always wanted? What is it about the sunrise and the top of a snow-covered mountain and the sweet and innocent eyes of a newborn baby and the power of a thunderstorm….that points us to something greater?
I believe it is God. I believe I can see God in others. I believe I can see God in things around me – creation. Trees. Mountains. Rivers. People. Weather. My garden…and even the blooms of the okra.
In the mornings, I sit on my back patio and stare at my yard. I see trees and bushes. I see flowers and birds. I see a tree house. Hammock. Birdhouse. Benches. Tables. A 4 ft. picket fence. Sandbox. firewood. I hear the birds chirping and singing…every morning. The wind seems to filter in…every morning for just a slight breeze. All of these things point me to God. The hammock is a place of rest – Jesus said if I come to Him, He will give me rest for my soul. The benches are creativity and me working with my hands to make something that offers beauty and rest. The sandbox and tree house are for fun and life to the fullest – Jesus said he came that you and I might have life to the fullest – to live more abundantly than ever! The flowers and the birds and trees….and the garden. They are purely an arrow to Heaven. To watch the birds create their nest, care for their young, to see dirt split and seedlings sprout and sprouts budding and buds growing fruit. It is deeper than we can see. It is simply a gift from Heaven. God’s gift. God’s reward to you and me. I see the Lord in my garden. I see His creation. I see His goodness. I see His patience in me as all of this takes much time and no room for anything but…patience. I would do well to see this and learn it in my daily life. My garden, God’s gift, helps me in this matter.
I see God in my wife. I see God in the ways she cares for our family – me, our children. I see God in her creativity. I see God in her patience with me when there ought to be zero room for that kind of stuff. I see God when she parents like an angel. I see God in our marriage and our home. The coolest thing about all of that is that it isn’t only for me. Our boys, see the Lord, too. Our friends can see God through our home. Our garden. Our yard. Our trust in His gifts.
Do you know someone you see God in? Have you ever started into their pupils and….told them, “I can see God in you!” What if you did? What if you don’t even know that God is real or that love is pure and you begin to wonder about certain people around you – what if you looked into their eyes and told them….what you see…and how you don’t see those things in your own eyes….that what you see in the mirror is ??? What if there was a risk at the glares of your heart and all your true desires….to risk at seeing God!
Do you see God? Where, oh where, is He?
“….And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory…” - John 1:14 ESV
I believe taking a deeper look at the man named Jesus is worth all and more of what we were designed for. Perhaps you will discover the same.
Blessings,
-ao
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