While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Cor 4:18
As a little boy, my son Samuel kept me on my toes. This is the child who used to crawl inside the empty dishwasher and peer out at me with a twinkle in his warm brown eyes. The child who loved to drop G.I. Joes and Hot Wheels down the laundry chute. The child who smuggled four frogs into the house in his sister’s pink Easy Bake pot. You get the idea. Every family has one: Adventure Boy!
On days when he would try my patience and stretch my endurance to the limit, I would catch myself losing my cool, and I would stop. Taking his angelic little face in my hands, and looking him straight in the eyes, I would say “Samuel, someday you will do great things for God!” He would beam, then run off to find fresh adventure. I don’t know how many times I said that to Sam, his eyes twinkling with mischief. But I can tell you, it was a LOT of times!
One particularly difficult day, when John the newborn was fussy, and Caitlin the two year old was bossy, and Samuel the three year old was racking up rascally deeds, he saw me about to melt down. He reached up, cupped my face in his sticky little hands and said “Mommy, I’m gonna do great things for God!” Wow. That was a “mom moment” that took my breath away. Now it wasn’t just me looking beyond his impish ways to a time when he would serve God. Now, Samuel believed it, too. Today, Sam is a sixteen year old worship leader, serving God with all of his heart. He’s doing great things for God!
If all we ever “see” is frogs in a pot, we will miss what God sees. His eyes are on what we will become in Christ, not what we are in ourselves. Next time you get into some mischief of your own, try to see Him taking your face in His hands, saying “You will do great things for Me!”
Prayer for today: Father, thank you for not only seeing my life as it is, but as it will be, in Christ. Help me to look not at the things which are seen, but at those things which are unseen and eternal. Take my ordinary days, my failures and my shortcomings, and make them an extraordinary life that makes a difference in the world. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
3 comments:
LOL! I remember those times that Samuel did the dishwasher and other fun things. I am so glad that he has grown up to be used by God. That is what we all want for our children. Thanks for bring back those great memories.
I have always enjoyed hearing you tell me about this. I think your prayer at the end is the reason I'm up at 4 this morning. You know how sometimes when everything seems to be going just fine in your life, but there's just a little nagging feeling that you can't explain and then you start to feel like you've failed in all the little things that shouldn't matter but do? Well, that's what I began to feel late last night and I just sat down with the Lord and talked to him about how I really wanted to make a difference in my world. Your prayer just became my prayer and I know God has great things for me despite my ordinary days and little shortcomings. Pity party over. It's not about me anyway. Thank you, your blogs are really inspiring to me.
Thanks so much Kendall. Your LIFE is inspiring to me! Love you, L.
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