With one word, he declared the gospel, comforted our restless hearts, and silenced the threat of death. With one word he defeated our fears of inadequacy, of never being enough, of hopelessness and of eternal separation. He ushered in life and offered freedom. As he was dying, he knew exactly what he was doing and exactly what he was saying.
It’s a truth I hope to cultivate in my daughter as she grows into a woman who will eventually be prompted to evaluate what she sees. She will eventually order her loves in such a way that what she believes is lovely will be the backdrop to the way she evaluates beauty.
I was quiet, so my kids were quiet. My voice was not loud, so when I said something my kids were looking at my face with rapt attention. Quiet does not mean unclear. We can listen and look intently into the face of the one who loves us too.
Shaping loves isn’t always fancy. It can take lots of raw, unimpressive moments that cumulatively do foundational work.
When 72 years of marriage “sure did fly by,” you know this life is quick. So within this love story is a prompt. What story do you tell?
Evidence compels, but evidence can only go so far. To know the one who formed you… it’s something more altogether.
All over scripture we see the phrase “looking at them,” or “turning his gaze towards them,” or when Jesus saw…” We know one thing for sure, Jesus did not avoid his people. Maybe you wonder at his interest. Maybe you aren’t sure where you stand before him. Maybe you aren’t sure he would look directly into your eyes if given the choice, so it may be of interest to see some examples of a variety of people he engaged. They are imperfect. So are we. He is still looking.
You are a daughter of the King. And that will only move us to the degree we have wrestled with what we believe about our Father. So what does it mean to be a daughter of the king? Because we will not access what we don’t know is ours to claim. Do you know who you are, who is accessible to you and what is yours to claim?
We may wonder at His command to “Be Still” long ago. Today, the winds and the waves, they still know his voice. They still obey his commands.
Even in the most glorious expression of beauty, our greatest attempt at life at it’s fullest measure falls decisively short of the fullness of being known, of being satisfied in, of being comforted by the creator of our hearts and the one who delights in us.