Saving Face

We sing songs about it, "Show Me Your Face, Lord" and we cry out, "I wanna see Your face!! Jesus!!!" And I always wondered why I don't see it? Why don't I see his face? Still, I continued to ask. What was I expecting to happen? What are you expecting to happen? I was expecting to have the face of Jesus suddenly appear to me, so that I would know what he looks like. That is exactly what I thought would happen. And, it was exactly what I thought I wanted. But it isn't exactly what did happen.

I know many people who have seen what Jesus looks like. To them, anyway. And they can describe his face. And that is way cool. And I am sure open to having that experience myself (are you listening to me, Lord?) But...what is actually happening and how he is actually answering my prayer is way different. And I think it is way more needed than a close up on his beard. So, I will share. Because I believe it might be helpful in your quest.

Even though I haven't actually had a vision of him, I recently realized that I now see him. And seeing him has changed my life. I see him in situations that I never saw him in before! I see him in people that I never saw him in before! I see him everywhere! (Not like I-see-dead-people see him.) I just see him. Better yet, I notice him. Because he really was always there. I just didn't notice him before. I was so busy being frustrated with how "not there" he seemed to be. People I love who weren't living as I think they should be living would frustrate me, because I couldn't see him. But now I do. Now I see that he is there, in those lives, orchestrating love, and joy, and moments of wonder...the very things that he orchestrated in my life before I knew him. Before I saw him!!!

In painful and awful situations, I see him! I can now recognize the strange ways that he is present. I am able to see him...even if it seems dark and hopeless. He always shows up. And now that I know what he looks like, I  know that he is beautiful. Even though I have never actually "seen" his face. (If I did see his face, I am not sure that it would be the kind of beautiful like it is in paintings...so handsome with his long flowing hair and Birkenstocks.) Now that I see him, I see how amazing he is at working things out for good. I see the wonder of him in us...in our perseverance in the face of adversity...in the touch of a hand...in laughter...in grief...in birth...in death...in sickness and health...in sun and rain...in frustrating moments when I can't breathe and I am not sure if my broken heart can ever mend...I SEE HIM. And, because my eyes have been opened to him, and because I know how he looks...I am forever changed.

So if you are where I was, praying and asking to see the face of Jesus...trust and know that your prayer will be answered. You just may not see his face in the way you imagine. But once you learn what he looks like, you will never again doubt that he is there...and here. Always.

Friends, he truly is beautiful. And once you see his face, you can face...anything. 

The Line

God is our defender,
But we really don't believe it as we
stand in line...to buy a gun...
To defend ourselves.

We say we know the truth
As we turn our cheek to His command
To turn our cheek to our enemies
And take His hand.

Reading that He came in peace
To show us how to live a different way.
While we worship war,
And believe our enemies must pay.

He came to set us free!
There's a line between freedom and hypocrisy, I see.
Between justice that demands payment,
And a Father who requires trust
Because His Son...paid...it all.

But we'll just go on, shouting "Heaven is real!"
While we cower behind our guns,
Protecting this life at any cost.
Because we're afraid to die...are we still lost?

There's a fine line between righteous anger and fear
And that line is near...right here.
But like yellow tape surrounding a crime scene,
It's a line I am unwilling to cross.
Because...my line is...the Cross.