February 24 - “Seeing With Your Heart”

1 Samuel 16: 7 -- “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’"

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As I was growing up (aren’t I still?), I had, and fortunately still have, a living example of these words God said to Samuel: my Dad.

Over the course of my life, I can remember all different kinds of people coming to visit us at our home or meeting people at his workplace, at church or various community activities. To watch him interact with others is a true blessing. He lives the saying, “A stranger is just a friend I haven’t met yet”. There is an openness and genuine joy in his approach to others. How he became this way, I don’t know...maybe from the example of his own dad, my Grandpa Al. Regardless of why, I know my Dad lives this way because he genuinely wants to see and is able to see the value each person has.

When we see these kinds of examples in our lives, we have a choice on whether to follow them or not. I am fortunate to have this example and it gives me guidance on how to approach a new acquaintance. This is especially important in Prison Ministry, when the men with whom I serve meet a new group of friends at the county jail or state prison.

These men we meet, spend time and pray with, have become accustomed to, even before they were in prison (and especially in prison), being treated as worthless. The stories I hear from them range the gamut of experience, but almost all of them seem to have a common core: at some point, they never learned they were loved. The world around them treated them coldly, without regard for the true value they possessed. When treated this way long enough, even the most beautiful and loving person can become hardened, mean, bitter and cruel. The example my Dad gives me allows me to see past all of that and welcome each of them as a friend and brother in Christ, and they welcome me in the same way.

We are fortunate that God sees us for who we are as our deepest and truest self. Can you imagine how lost we would be if God decided who he loves by looking only at our daily actions, our thoughts or our outward appearance? We are so blessed that, regardless of the layers of dirt, hurt, lies and brokenness which can build up around our hearts over time, walls that our experiences in the world can cause us to build up, God sees the core of our being and loves us for the beautiful people each one of us is. He made us that way, in His image.

So, I encourage you, whenever you can, close your eyes and see with your heart. Recognize the value and beauty that each one of us can bring to each other; look to the example God has given us in seeing things, not as the world does, but as God does. When we do this, we will be amazed at the beauty and blessings all around us, which we could not see before, but were there the whole time!