That Face

I vividly remember this day from 2 years ago as I stood on the dock overlooking the water. The wind was pleasantly breezy as I watched the sun set and I marveled at the very character of God, creator of heaven and this marvelously arranged earth. In this moment, I was reminded that the beauty in nature we humans get to enjoy on a daily basis is enough to calm our souls, inspire us to action, renew our spirits, and lead us to clearer decisions on any given issue like nothing else found in the material / synthetic world. My first question to myself was, “Why don’t I make the extra effort to spend time like this in nature more often?” The water lapped gently against the pylons as the sea gulls called and in the silence of nature’s song, peace and thankfulness swelled within and I was overcome with the feeling of seeing the face of God within the beauty of this moment. It wasn’t until later that evening that I looked back over the pictures I had taken. Of all the pictures taken that day, this one stood out. I was taken aback to see the cloud formation to the right of the picture that looked like a face peering over the earth, eyelashes and all. I remembered the feeling I had that day, and was astonished. It was as if the face of God was really there watching over all of us. What a jarring alignment with His Word. God never misses an opportunity to speak to our hearts in different ways, but, many times, it is us humans who miss the many opportunities to hear because we are too busy and caught up in our own little worldly life on earth.

• What if I hadn’t gone to see the sunset that day and instead remained at the pool with tons of other loud and obnoxious people?
• My concept of how God communicates with us forever changed that day. Now, I look for God to show up in the middle of my happiness, in the family argument, in times of despair, and in moments of elation. I watch, I wait, I listen, I seek His face.
• In reality the face of God shows up in our daily lives all the time. It’s not always from just hearing His Word preached or watching an online service. From the fluttering butterfly lighting atop my foot to the red bird flying along side the car, the sweet smile of a child, that thankful expression of a homebound person, and, even, clouds in the sky. There is spiritual meaning behind everything and everyone you encounter today. You might even be the face of God for someone everyone else is ignoring.
• These are the moments to savor in life, not whether your favorite team won the game or can even play this year, the excitement of your brand new car, or the job promotion you’ve worked many years to attain.
• And as the news and social media rage on about a certain city burning, the lies and deception of “do as I say not as I do”, fear mongering at staggering proportions, just think about all those children recently rescued from sex trafficking in many places across this country . I’m sure the faces of those officers, swat teams, undercover rescuers, and K9’s were indeed the faces of God in earthly form for all those children.

In these uncertain times don’t miss the opportunity to seek the face of God in your life. Let Go of the fear and Step out in faith for the real church, for revival of the Holy Spirit, for freedom to worship. Stop agonizing over inhumane behaviors and instead take action in the name of Jesus; sign petitions, stay alert to be available to help someone in need, and remember, many times, action simply means remaining prayerful and positive, not fearful and negative. Be vigilant in Prayer for this nation, for your family, neighbors, churches to become authentic, the hurting, the children… Spend time throughout each day to Seek and Find the face of Holy, the Divine One, the Mediator on your behalf. Smile and be the face of God for someone today. Never doubt God is Watching!