A friend of mine was visiting with her daughter a couple of months ago and as she shared some precious time of fellowship with her daughter, her 2 year old grandson played nearby. At one point the little fellow had something he wanted to tell his mommy. He called for her several times, but his mom was so caught up in her conversation, she appeared unaware of his voice that continued to gain volume, demanding her attention. In frustration, he managed to hoist his short legs up onto the couch where his mother was sitting, and standing on the cushions in front of her, he cupped her face in his sweet hands and said, 'Mommy, listen with your face'!
After hearing this story and enjoying a chuckle, I began to wonder how many times the Lord has called my name and tried to get my attention and He's been met with no response. Does He long to hold my face tenderly in His Hands and call me to "listen with my face"? When He speaks, am I really attentive or do I only give half an ear to His voice. Are distractions causing me to look away, or am I always gazing intently into my Saviors face? Has the noise of this world caused me to become hard of hearing and has His voice become a dull murmur that I ignore?
In the Gospels we read about Peter walking on the water. He heard Christ's voice and in exuberance Peter leaps over the side of the boat and without hesitation begins defying all laws of physics as his feet are supported by the sea. Suddenly the reality of his circumstance crashes as the waves around him, and he begins to sink. He calls out to the Lord and immediately Jesus rescues his heart from its drowning faith.
In a more modern day illustration, consider 'Maggie Carpenter' in the movie, "Runaway Bride". As long as 'Maggie' kept her eyes on the groom waiting for her at the altar she continued walking down the aisle, but the moment she was distracted by the guests in the church, she turned and ran.
All three of these stories remind us where we should fix our eyes. We are the Bride of Christ and He is our Bridegroom. If we keep our gaze focused on Christ, situations around us may threaten or call for our attention, but as we look to Jesus, we will discover He will more than supply our every need. He will strengthen our faith, remove our fear and give us direction.
What is the Lord trying to tell you today? When He calls your name, give Him your undivided attention and "listen with your face".
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith".
Hebrews 12:2
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4 comments:
Thanks for stopping by my site. I got the email. I would think that FAITH ON THE EDGE:DARING TO FOLLOW JESUS would be available in Canada. I know it is available through Amazon and you could always contact InterVarsity Press.
I loved working on it. There were 6 of us. The lead person was Paul Tokanaga. In most places it is listed by his last name, though it will come up with my name too.
We each wrote 4 chapters. One of mine was on hope. So, maybe I'll post a bit of it this weekend as it seems like it is going to be a busy one.
I need to grab dinner and head back out into the cold. Have a great day!
Joyful,
I just saw your comment over at Lysa's site and wanted to pop over and say HI!
I love this post and love how you tied in the little boy grabbing mom's face. Very well said!
It is so nice to meet you!
Melissa
I love this post!!!
love,holly
Oooh girl, I needed this TODAY! We are in the early stages of an international adoption and many thoughts of "How are we going to do this? Where will we fit another child or two in our home? How will I survive without my "alone" time?
I just need to fix my eyes on Jesus and listen with my face turned toward His.
Love your parallel with Runaway Bride, too. I love that movie, but it's the first time I thought about the similarity. Love that!
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