Our grandsons new cats Tigger and the other Simba thought this paper bag was a great place for a nap. What a blessing that they are more excited about their new friends than all the video game stuff they found under the Christmas tree!
Photography
Seeing the Invisible
When we wish to know the worth of a diamond we take it to a jeweler who takes his magnifying glass and looks at the color, counts the facets and so forth. If we need to sell a property we first call an appraiser who comes and looks carefully at it inside and out to ascertain its market value.While our practice is to value a thing according to its appearance God sees entirely differently.
Consider the story of the widow who gave her two mites. The disciples were quite surprised when Jesus told them that she had given more than all the others. They had clearly seen with their own eyes the two tiny copper coins fall from her hand into the offering box. But what they had seen was nothing in comparison to what Jesus saw of the inner beauty of her love, sacrifice and faith.
In a different circumstance Jesus sat down for dinner with a well dressed wealthy Pharisee named Simon. During their meal the pleasantness of the scene was harshly interrupted by a weeping woman who burst into the room and began kissing the feet of Jesus and wiping them clean with her hair. Simon was shocked! It was well known in his community what flagrant sins this woman had committed. How dare she enter his house, and furthermore how could Jesus (If He really were a prophet) allow himself to be touched by someone like her?
Yet Jesus saw the circumstances quite differently than Simon or you or I. Jesus neither saw the fine tableware nor savored the delicate cuisine. Jesus hadn’t at all been impressed by the beautiful columns or the handcrafted door at the entry of Simon’s home. Instead Jesus saw the cold lack of Simon’s heart. Jesus had noticed that Simon had not given him the customary kiss on the cheek, or offered water for his feet to be washed. Jesus saw quite clearly instead the depth of repentance and gratitude of this woman and treasured that.
God does not see things as we see them and as we enter this new year my prayer is for God to give me His own 20/20 heavenly vision. I earnestly beg and plead to see the value that He sees in others and the worthlessness of so many things to which I cling so tightly. The challenges that we face this year can only be met when seeing and valuing the invisible things of God’s
eternal worth.
As we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18
Yet God
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness…” 2 Corinthians 12:9a
I like nothing of weakness infirmity or disability. I despise the inability my weak state brings me to. There is so much that needs to be done which requires, strength, endurance and intelligence – Yet God-delights in those moments when I am utterly incapacitated and cannot meet my daily demands.
I hate sitting and only listening when I feel I should speak or spending sleepless nights tossing and turning over struggles which are beyond my ability to face -Yet God- has promised that when I trust Him when I can no longer trust myself that He will give me grace.
His grace is enough in every need. His grace is enough when I cannot understand. His grace is enough when my plans end like tangled threads which His fingers alone can unknot and weave into a carpet of grace. His grace is enough when I can not sing a note to give me song in the night. Oh yes – I do not love my weakness -Yet God- has promised that in my weakness His power and strength are made perfect.
2 Corinthians 12:9b …” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
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