Monday Moment: Seeing Him

My ears had heard of you

but now my eyes have seen you.

-Job 42:5

We've all heard about God. Hearing about Him is one thing. Seeing Him is another. Seeing Him active and abounding in your life is something different still.

Last week was horrible. One I'd rather forget. I dreaded Mother's Day yesterday more than I've ever dreaded any other day. I knew it would be hard. It would require a strength that couldn't come from anywhere inside me. When my alarm went off, I cried.

The last thing I wanted to do yesterday morning was teach my Sunday School class. Little girls. Children. Mother's Day. In light of last week, I honestly didn't think I could do it. I walked into the class and as the girls wandered in I hugged and laughed and joked. Fooled myself with my forced cheerfulness. But as the class started, one of my smartest and favorite students raised her hand. "Miss Brin?" she asked, "Are you wearing new eyeshadow?"

Kids are scary.

"Yes ma'am," I said, bewildered. "Why?"

"Why are you wearing new eyeshadow?"

"Boy trouble," I said. "And what do we do when we have trouble in our lives?"

The girls sat there, staring.

"We cast all our cares on the Lord... we tell God about them... because He cares for us. All about us. Every day. Doesn't He?"

The lesson rocked along and ended with us making these for their mothers. As we were about to leave, the girls started whispering and giggling and suddenly there was mass third-grade excitement as they told me about the Mother's Day craft they'd made at school this year. A bottle vase. We made ours for you, they said. For your Mother's Day.

"If something happens to my Mom I want you to be my Mom," Cassidy said.

And there it was. There He was. There I was, seeing Him again. My ears have heard of a loving God... of a tender God... of a compassionate God, but suddenly there He was again, staring at me from the faces of little girls. Reaching out to me. Speaking to me from the depth of my deepest longing - a child. There He was... reaching out and giving me flowers on Mother's Day.

I started blinking away tears. "What's wrong, Miss Brin?" they asked.

"Nothing at all," I replied. "But what do we do when we have trouble in our lives?"

"We take it to God," Sabryn said, "and we buy new eyeshadow."

My ears had heard of Him, but now my eyes have seen Him.

Monday Moment is a little devotional to help kick start your week. See you again next time.