Whoever thought first of using their refrigerator as a picture board had a brilliant idea. As I grab some milk for my coffee, I am surprised about the images we have collected on ours over many years.
Little ones, who by now are married and have their own kids.
Youngsters in their sports uniforms.
Graduates from schools and colleges.
Family members and friends from different generations, ages, countries and cultures.
Looking at them, I do not only see pictures, but I am reminded of the life stories behind them. Kindergarten and school pictures mix with those of boyfriends and girlfriends. Some document heartache, brokenness, sickness and recovery from it. There are even some of those who are no longer with us.
Stories, frozen in time, like a newborn child, bring a smile to my face. Others invite tears, because of the pain over the heartbreaking course a life has taken. They remind me that life can be beautiful and messy, full of joy, but also pain. To observe the development of child with all her unique personality traits into an adult with purpose and meaning in her life reminds me of goodness. Stories that have taken a wrong turn somewhere keep me alert that our choices make a difference.
I wondered if this is how God, our Creator sees us. Maybe, if God had a refrigerator, our picture would be on it! He takes joy in our development, is there for our questions, listens to our heart cries, and lovingly encourages us. Most of all, he sees us with his Father’s heart. He is willing to provide what we need most, a sense of belonging, of being loved, and having purpose in our life. He is the only one who can provide all of that. We are his creation, meant for close relationship with him. We are so well loved by him that he made the sacrifice necessary to remove everything that separates us from him. Then he invites us into an even deeper relationship as his disciples. We are given an unending purpose by embracing his call to follow him. This means, we are to act like he acted, love like he loved!
In our time, where we are encouraged to follow our dreams and our desires, this seems like strange advice. The message of the One who sets us free, Jesus, is counter cultural! It calls us to die to our dreams and passions and instead to pick up and carry forward his desires. This is one of the paradoxes of a life with God: to find life, we must lay it down!
He is no fool, who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot loose!
Jim Elliot
From Doubter to Believer
Leave a Reply