there are moments in your life, when you have to stop and realize that it is a moment unlike any other.
today i had one of those.
i spent this morning on the beach reading, reflecting and tanning by myself.
i decided to hit the beach a little early so that i could get in a good solid hours before the crowds came and before i went to work.
i turned my ipod on shuffle and just laid there soaking up the sun, the wind and every musical note. after a while i decided to turn onto my stomach so that not only could the other half of my body could get its fair share of sun but also so that i could read for a little while.
i've been reading a book entitled "they like jesus, but not the church" [dan kimball] which confronts the issue of the negative view that the world holds towards the church. over and over again this book stresses how the world is eager to learn about the teacher, the lover, the helper who was jesus; they just can't stand how the church acts a majority of the time. reading this book has begun to produce such a heavy burden to portray love. to master then concept of unconditional love; to conquer that first.
[but we can discuss all of that later]
to go along with that concept of love, i've been spending a majority of my time lately questioning and trying to figure out how to BE jesus and how to SHOW jesus to the world. to show His love. His passionate and courageous pursuit.
matthew 5 talks all about the "beatitudes", but if you exam verse 8 in the message version, it gives the scripture a slightly different outlook:
" "You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
see God in the outside world?
THAT'S what i'm searching for.
ok so back to my beach story...
so with all of this swirling around in my mind and beating inside the walls of my chest, i left my ipod on shuffle and (of all songs in the world ) celine dion's "then you look at me" came into play.
the first time i just let it play, not paying much attention as i read.
but then something caught my heart and my ear
"and life comes from you"
and life comes from you?
so i decided to play the song.
again.
and again.
by the third time, i was fully attentive to every word in the song:
Laugh and cry
Live and die
Life is a dream we're dreaming
Day by day
I find my way
Look for the soul and the meaning
Then you look at me
And I always see
What I have been searching for
I'm lost as can be
Then you look at me
And I am not lost anymore
People run
Sun to sun
Caught in their lives ever flowing
Once begun
Life goes till it's gone
We have to go where it's going
And you say you see
When you look at me
The reason you love life so
As lost I have been
I'll find love again
And life just keeps on running
And life just keeps on running
You look at me and life comes from you. From you.
wow.
i decided to play the song one more time.
but this time, i closed my eyes and allowed myself to begin to worship.
right there. in the middle of the beach.
nothing extravagant. just lying there with my eyes closed, allowing myself to worship.
to a celine dion song.
and this something happen.
a scripture came to mind.
a picture came to my mind.
a picture of jesus.
a picture of his love.
the parable of the one lost sheep began to play out in my mind.
all of the sheep were there, all 99.
but that wasn't what jesus wanted.
he wanted 100.
he wouldn't settle.
so he left the flock,
to look for that one.
he left the flock to look for that one?
i could just see him.
looking around.
not mad.
not sad.
just looking.
intently .
and then he sees that little sheep.
it was me.
it was you.
that little sheep was sitting there.
jesus came and sat by it.
he asked the little sheep what happened.
the little sheep said that he didn't want to be with the flock anymore.
the little sheep didn't like how the flock treated oneanother.
jesus smiled at the little sheep, picked it up and said
"let's try this one more time my little sheep".
i laid on the beach as the song finished, not sure what just happened. maybe i'd dosed a bit? or maybe, it was moment shared between the father and i.
you know what amazes me?
well first, that jesus left that entire flock to look for that one little sheep.
do you ever allow yourself to really think about that?
secondly, that i found the lord on the beach, by myself, listening to celine dion.
is that how that little sheep felt?
when jesus saw the sheep, did he tell the little sheep that the reason he loved life so was because of him?".
i felt humbled this morning on the beach.
but i felt so much hope, because i realized that if i could find jesus on beach while listening to celine dion, when i didn't even "invite him";
how much more would we find Him if we did invite Him?
if we sought Him ?
does this make any sense?
because it's just a thought.
just a thought.
today i had one of those.
i spent this morning on the beach reading, reflecting and tanning by myself.
i decided to hit the beach a little early so that i could get in a good solid hours before the crowds came and before i went to work.
i turned my ipod on shuffle and just laid there soaking up the sun, the wind and every musical note. after a while i decided to turn onto my stomach so that not only could the other half of my body could get its fair share of sun but also so that i could read for a little while.
i've been reading a book entitled "they like jesus, but not the church" [dan kimball] which confronts the issue of the negative view that the world holds towards the church. over and over again this book stresses how the world is eager to learn about the teacher, the lover, the helper who was jesus; they just can't stand how the church acts a majority of the time. reading this book has begun to produce such a heavy burden to portray love. to master then concept of unconditional love; to conquer that first.
[but we can discuss all of that later]
to go along with that concept of love, i've been spending a majority of my time lately questioning and trying to figure out how to BE jesus and how to SHOW jesus to the world. to show His love. His passionate and courageous pursuit.
matthew 5 talks all about the "beatitudes", but if you exam verse 8 in the message version, it gives the scripture a slightly different outlook:
" "You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
see God in the outside world?
THAT'S what i'm searching for.
ok so back to my beach story...
so with all of this swirling around in my mind and beating inside the walls of my chest, i left my ipod on shuffle and (of all songs in the world ) celine dion's "then you look at me" came into play.
the first time i just let it play, not paying much attention as i read.
but then something caught my heart and my ear
"and life comes from you"
and life comes from you?
so i decided to play the song.
again.
and again.
by the third time, i was fully attentive to every word in the song:
Laugh and cry
Live and die
Life is a dream we're dreaming
Day by day
I find my way
Look for the soul and the meaning
Then you look at me
And I always see
What I have been searching for
I'm lost as can be
Then you look at me
And I am not lost anymore
People run
Sun to sun
Caught in their lives ever flowing
Once begun
Life goes till it's gone
We have to go where it's going
And you say you see
When you look at me
The reason you love life so
As lost I have been
I'll find love again
And life just keeps on running
And life just keeps on running
You look at me and life comes from you. From you.
wow.
i decided to play the song one more time.
but this time, i closed my eyes and allowed myself to begin to worship.
right there. in the middle of the beach.
nothing extravagant. just lying there with my eyes closed, allowing myself to worship.
to a celine dion song.
and this something happen.
a scripture came to mind.
a picture came to my mind.
a picture of jesus.
a picture of his love.
the parable of the one lost sheep began to play out in my mind.
all of the sheep were there, all 99.
but that wasn't what jesus wanted.
he wanted 100.
he wouldn't settle.
so he left the flock,
to look for that one.
he left the flock to look for that one?
i could just see him.
looking around.
not mad.
not sad.
just looking.
intently .
and then he sees that little sheep.
it was me.
it was you.
that little sheep was sitting there.
jesus came and sat by it.
he asked the little sheep what happened.
the little sheep said that he didn't want to be with the flock anymore.
the little sheep didn't like how the flock treated oneanother.
jesus smiled at the little sheep, picked it up and said
"let's try this one more time my little sheep".
i laid on the beach as the song finished, not sure what just happened. maybe i'd dosed a bit? or maybe, it was moment shared between the father and i.
you know what amazes me?
well first, that jesus left that entire flock to look for that one little sheep.
do you ever allow yourself to really think about that?
secondly, that i found the lord on the beach, by myself, listening to celine dion.
is that how that little sheep felt?
when jesus saw the sheep, did he tell the little sheep that the reason he loved life so was because of him?".
i felt humbled this morning on the beach.
but i felt so much hope, because i realized that if i could find jesus on beach while listening to celine dion, when i didn't even "invite him";
how much more would we find Him if we did invite Him?
if we sought Him ?
does this make any sense?
because it's just a thought.
just a thought.
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