Christian Living
WHAT DID YOU LEARN TODAY?
He seemed to be having a conversation with someone. He held a blue and black knapsack in one hand while the free hand made waving gestures. He could have been talking to someone, but I didn’t see a cell phone or anyone listening to his story. He must be having a private conversation with the books on display in the window of the Coliseum Book Store. I smiled as I thought, there’s a character who has just escaped from the pages of his novel. He was wrapped up in his world and to the casual passerby in the Manhattan Monday morning rush hour, it was just another sighting of the insanity so often seen that it is ignored.
Do I say, “Thank God, that’s not me” or do I say, “But for the grace of God, that could be me?” I push the uncomfortable thoughts aside, not willing to contemplate my self-centeredness and lack of compassion. I know that I am often guilty of taking God’s goodness for granted, and feeling a sense of entitlement, at least to mental and physical health. After all, I eat small portions of healthy food most of the time. I work hard, exercise regularly, and get adequate rest at night. Yet I know that that does not guarantee any immunity from sickness. My pampered humanity still wants to cling to the hype that life should be a “happily ever after” affair. The truth is that that man and I could share the same reality. In a split second, I could lose my mental capability in an accident or as a result of extreme stress—things over which I have no control. So, it is really only by the grace of God that I live each day.
God, in His omniscience, has the advantage of the long and short range view of my life. I’m cognizant of this every morning when I rise and create a sacred space for worship and breakfast with the Creator of the universe. Praise music plays softly in the background and in forty-five minutes, I read, meditate, listen, pray, and record my reflections. Prayer gives me a chance to clear away the debris of doubt and denial and to start over without the stress and the mess. We can surgically remove or cover up facial imperfections but we can’t cover up the blemishes of bad habits and destructive thoughts. They just keep resurfacing. Our only resort is prayer. It is said that prayer changes people and situations. I don’t leave home without it, because I, too, need to be changed.
Two hours later, walking along Forty-second Street, I remember what I learned from my early morning divine encounter. “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1Sam. 16:7) I think of my obsession with externals and I understand that that is so shortsighted. We see what is skin deep and that represents a partial reality. The full reality is expressed in a song that says, “He looked beyond our faults and saw our need.” We focus on the externals, but God looks at the longings of the heart. We can only guess at what’s in the human heart or mind. And, many times, we’re wrong. But God makes no mistakes, and because He knows our complete history, He knows what’s best for us.
That morning I lost my focus when I got distracted and for a moment, I forgot. But then I remembered that a heart focused on pleasing God has no room for criticism of those who are not like us or don’t measure up to our expectations. We all have weaknesses and we’re far from perfect. Perfection is as transient as good weather. Yet we can still enjoy perfect moments and revel in the joy of sunshiny days, even if they’re followed by stormy nights. We need rainy days and storms. Sometimes it takes a tornado to shake us up and reshape our spiritual perspective. And God promises to be with us during those dark times and restore our strength and courage, so we can live a good life—a life that faces challenges, embraces changes, and keeps the faith even when things or people get crazy.
Later, at lunchtime, I’m back in the streets and I’m thinking, what if my perception is wrong? What if because of the distance and the angle of my sightline, I just missed the earpiece of his cell phone? And the voice of my inner spirit tells me to be careful how I assess what I see and not jump to conclusions. Here’s yet another lesson. I am still learning…
Jennifer T. Heron (Queens, NY) is a spiritual writer, teacher, and seminar leader who is currently working on her first book. You may contact her at: [email protected].
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