He Sees You
When the temperature hovers near one hundred for days on end, my husband and I take our walk from our neighborhood to the air conditioned mall. I much prefer the peace and beauty of our quiet streets, but I’m too lazy to get up before the sun.
It’s a very modest mall, and we have to circle it quite a few times to get in a decent walk. It would get awfully boring – if it weren’t for the people. It’s a wonderful mix of ages, races and personalities. Of course, I can only judge the personalty part by the outward appearance. That’s where the trouble lies.
I can conjure up stories based simply on the clothes someone is wearing. There is one particular guy who we see frequently. He is very tall and, no matter what the weather, wears jeans, long-sleeved shirt, boots and a cowboy hat pulled way down. He seems to know all the store employees, stopping by every open door to chat. In my mind, I refer to him as the creepy cowboy. I’ve imagines all sorts of dark stories involving a tall, dark figure stalking people in the mall. In reality, he’s probably just a nice guy who likes people.
Some people look sweet and happy – yet who knows what their real stories might be. Others are dressed so outrageously I can only imagine the strange lives they live, when the truth may lie far in the opposite direction.
I am only looking at the outside. I don’t know them. I don’t even know their names, let alone the details of their lives.
There is One who does. He sees every one of those people I pass as precious souls. He looks right through all the stuff and into the very heart of them.
When He looks at the young girl with the too tight shorts and low-cut top, does He see a heart hurting and longing to be loved? Or the impatient Mom with a toddler clinging to her skirt and a baby crying in the carriage. Does He see a heart weary beyond words? He knows that cowboy by name and cares deeply about him.
We are all longing to be known and loved. The miracle is – we are. The Lord sees us as beloved children. He looks way past the outward us and deeply into our hearts. No matter what dark sins and secrets are buried deep within, He loves us. He calls us by name and longs for us to answer. He waits with a love that is beyond anything we could ever imagine – a love that sent His own Son to die for us so that we might live with Him forever.
“…The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. ” I Samuel 16:7 (NLT)
“For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NLT)
Blessings,
Linda
picture credit: Anna Dziubinska
I pray so often that God would please take my judgemental thoughts away from me. If only I could see everybody the way God sees them. Thank you for this gentle reminder.
What a great reminder that God knows us, not only from the outside, but He sees our heart too.