holymeetsordinary An Ordinary Woman Ponders a Great God

A verse in Psalm 27 says “My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek.”

Most of you have met the newest members of our clergy team, Katie and Josiah. They are incredibly talented and we love them, but we especially love their new family addition, baby Naomi. Our staff is very welcoming of babies; in fact whenever Katie and Josiah bring Naomi upstairs it takes them forever to make it to their offices, because all of us are “oohing and ahhing” over their daughter.

In the early weeks of Naomi’s life I would watch this little one in the arms of her mother and I was especially struck by something that I had seen all babies do – my babies did it with me – but this time I saw it in a different light. This tiny little being, not yet able to control her hands or form a smile, would spend much of her time staring intently into the face of her mother. A very intense, almost mature look as she would scrutinize her mother’s features, taking in, absorbing the one from whom she came.  As this little one grew older she began to soak up the world around her, offer smiles to those of us who fussed over her, and allow some of us to hold her. But while resting in someone else’s arms, whenever she heard her mother’s voice her little head would turn, and she would look around until she spied her mother; even from a distance, she kept her mother in sight.

I think infants are wise. At a very young age, they know the source of their survival, their nourishment, life, love. As Naomi continues to grow she is becoming more independent and is able to go to the Nursery downstairs. But as soon as she sees the face of her mother or father, a beaming smile lights up her face.

Those of us who are parents remember those tender years when our children would generously offer smiles and hugs, and spend hours cuddling. Of course my college age boys are not so generous with their smiles, and hugs are rare and most often initiated by me. I tell them with every text message, email, and phone call that I love them, but they probably cannot comprehend the depth of my love until they have children of their own. Do they know that they are never far from my heart? Do they know I shed tears over their sorrows – and am jubilant over their successes? Do they know that, in a heartbeat, I would sacrifice my life to save them? Sounds extreme, but that’s how mothers feel. That’s what mothers do. And that is what our Father God does for each one of us.

“My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’  Your face, Lord, I will seek.”

I pray I will become more like the newborn babe and scrutinize the face of my Father God, always keeping him in sight. As I go out into the world to do my work and spend time with others, I hope my head is always turning toward his voice—staying on track with him. And when I wander off, I pray that the compass of my inner spirit will show me the direction of his love and I will return to him with open arms. I hope when I am bewildered by this life, stressed and disappointed, that the image of my Father’s face is so imprinted on my heart, that I will maintain peace and assurance, trusting that his love will carry me through whatever I am facing.  I pray that in the midst of the world’s distractions that I will save my best smiles for him.

We are never far from God’s heart. He weeps over our sorrows and is jubilant when we find joy. He has sacrificed his life to save us. He is the source of our survival, our nourishment, our life, our love.

“My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’  Your face, Lord, I will seek.”