Look and See.....

To most this is just a picture of an evening sky, but to me it was gift from my ABBA,  I took it as I sat in my car after leaving small group.   I saw it as a gift,  a source of comfort.    John Eldredge says that we need stillness and beauty in our lives for healing in our souls,  that in the stillness God can speak to the soul and in the beauty we see His largeness,  nearness and the detail in His creating.  That is somewhat the gist in what he was saying.  But HIS beauty in creation is my connect to HIM,  how belief is strengthened and how I learn HIS vastness and uniqueness...  

He says that we are made in HIS image, meaning each person carries a part of who GOD is,   which makes humans all the more magnificent.   I heard a message last week that said that GOD broke the mold after HE made each one of us....   because we are uniquely made.... though I have heard this sentiment many times, this time I heard differently.  I took it in.... it was almost like permission was given to breath and to be.

I hesitate in writing what I feel I am suppose to write,   out of fear,  not wanting to be offensive or to hurt feelings but yet challenged in the fact that real is where I want go and how I want to be.  Transparent in this journey of life.   To choose real over the pride of hiding, yet maintain love.... gentleness....  kindness.... without any becoming a performance.

I saw a quote this week by Henry David Thoreau "It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see,"   I think we look at many situations and people but never see...   we label someone from the looking without really seeing the truth.   We evaluate,  LOOK at what we perceive as the facts, make a judgment and place a label on it without ever really seeing the person or situation as a whole.   Never really taking the time to sit and listen....  we feel we don't have the luxury to take that time... when in reality I think that as a follower of Christ, we really don't have the luxury to not take the time.   

This week I was challenged by that very sentiment, not feeling time was on my side and wanting to speed up the situation in order to move on to the next thing.   I made a quick assessment as I was heading the direction of the label I placed on issue.   Then something triggered me to start asking questions, the more they talked and shared the more questions I asked, the more I listened,  the more I saw.... the less I looked at the label that I had attached.   It was different then what I had perceived to start with,  much different....  showing that seeing and looking are two very separate actions.....

I think most of us don't feel we have the time to really seek out the truth in a person,  we tend to rely on the labels that either we attach or someone else attaches and we adopt without finding or looking for the truth that really resides in a person.   Not seeing a person for who they really are....  We give time and attention to what we desire, to what doesn't cause discomfort on our parts or what we perceive to be acceptable not only to our comfort zones but to the click in life we perceive ourselves to belonging too.   We choose the easy road of trying to be accepted rather than the smaller path of living in transparency, truth of our uniqueness where in reality true joy,  true relationship with the creator exists.   We reside in the performance rather than in the realness of life...   and I think this type of living causes us to miss out on so many experiences that would fill us with joy and true peace. And honestly missing opportunities to see HIM in people and situations....

I admit, I have missed out....  and if a person was honest with themselves they would say they have missed out as well....

 I also think it causes us to devalue ourselves.....  and to devalue others,  HIS uniqueness being missed.  

In my reading this week, it led me to the scripture of the women with the issue of blood.  She was ostracized by her community and her family because of this issue.  She was seen as being unpure... dirty.....  and she had lived in this condition of isolation for 12 years....  she saw her only hope that day in simply touching the hem of Jesus,  not even skin, just HIS clothes... that if she could just have a touch of His clothes she would receive healing.... be able to return to living in community, return to her family.  Surely she saw that He was heading to a destination that demanded HIS urgent attention, so just touching HIM quickly would give her what she needed and He could keep going.     She had faith it would only take a touch...  a moment and healing would be obtained.   He wouldn't notice...   she wouldn't be called out as a person the community saw her as yet she would receive what was needed.  She had faith,  such faith caused her to crawl through the crowds,  reach out and touch HIM.   In that moment her life changed,  yet she didn't count on HIM noticing her touch,  HE stopped in the midst of this crowd and asked who touched HIM,  his disciples were baffled,  here HE was in the midst where being bumped and shoved,  yet HE noticed a touch.... that something left HIM.    I think HE noticed faith and belief in HIM in that very touch.   HE stopped,  even though an urgent matter was waiting for HIM,  HE stopped and listened,  saw... not just looked but saw this women for who she really was and not for what she was labeled by in her community,  He called her daughter,  told her that her faith in HIM had made her well,  to go in peace and be free from her affliction.     

He stopped,  He listened,  He saw.....  she received freedom and love.....  the label that was given to her was not important to HIM,  the urgency that was ahead didn't make HIM hesitate in giving her time,  to listen to her....  He simply took the time and the matter that was so urgent ahead of HIM was taken care of as well.

So if I am to pattern my life as Christ did HIS,   am I too not stop and see rather than simply look and judge,  and label....   The former brings restoration,  healing, freedom...  life....   the latter brings death to a soul,  hurt.... steals beauty,  blinds us from seeing HIM in the darkness....

I know and understand the effects of being labeled without being seen.... or really being known.   It causes death to the soul....   It can cause a person to lose out on who they were really meant to be when we label without really knowing someone.  Not listening,  not seeing....  

I have also been guilty of being the one not taking the time to see and listen, and placing a label... causing damage without really realizing this was what I was doing in the process...   and may God forgive me,  may the individuals forgive me....

Wednesday night,  I sat in my car,  I was transparent in a place that doesn't feel safe to me but I felt HIM telling me to be transparent because the night and the situation demanded it.  The enemy of my soul whispered,  they have heard this,  they don't get it,  they don't understand what this means to you.  he whispered, they labeled you as here she goes again...  she needs to let this go...   I sat in my car and I felt defeated.... like I was vulnerable,  naked in the midst of those who really do not  know me....  It was the whisper of the dark one....   I looked up and saw the beauty in the night sky,  it was as if the LOVER of my soul was telling me to be still... the whispers of the dark one will subside when you see MY beauty that I give you... when you receive from simply touching me in the stillness, taking in the beauty that I am showing you, and receiving the truth of who I say you are,  take that in.... open your hands and let the label fly away rather than grasping them as truth....  I will always give you MY time,  I will always search your soul...  ask the questions,  take the time.... listen.....   Peoples labels don't matter.... take in MY labels of you.    

I feel even more challenged to see, to listen, rather than to simply look..... because He does more than just look....