If He, Then Why Don't We?

And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than the sparrows. Matthew 10:30 NIV

Have you ever just looked at your hairbrush and wondered if there is that many hairs in my hairbrush, how do I still have hair on my head? Or when you've worked hard on a meal and made sure your hair was back, but still some how one hair made it into the food? Then of course there is always that pesky little hair that ends up in your mouth and no matter how many times you've pulled it out some how it's still ends up back in your mouth.

When you're at the beach building that beloved sandcastle, did you count each grain of sand that went into it? Or did you walk along the shore counting each grain of sand you've stepped on? Did you remember to count the sand that gets washed back into the ocean with each wave or each new grain that is brought with it?

Camping at night away from the city have you looked up in the sky and counted each star you see? What about the ones you can't see? Do you know how many planets are out there or moons?

Even if you have counted each of these things, it is hard to know the current number because they constantly change. There is someone who always knows. He knows the number of hairs on our heads. He knows the number of grains of sand there are not just at one beach but all over the world. He also knows how many stars, planets, comets, asteroids, and moons there are in the entire universe.

So if God knows all this, then why is it we don't seek Him when we need to know something?

A couple weeks ago, we experienced an unknown. Our church had a big decision to make. We had a plan and we hoped it was God's plan, but we weren't completely sure how the vote was going to turn out. We prayed and sought God and trusted in Him. But sometimes God's plans are a little different. This time though God's plans were the same! By His grace His kingdom will grow at our church again.

This week I had a plan. Last Tuesday I contracted a cold, and my plan was to give it the ten days to run it's course before heading to the doctor. By Monday though I knew my plan of waiting was not going to work, so I called and it's a good thing I did because my cold turn into bronchitis.

Because I trust God more than my plan, I was able to get the help I needed to get better. Sure there are times when I still think my plan is better than His, but sooner or later I finally give it to Him. Because if God knows so much more than me, then I should trust in Him.

What Do You See?

But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 AMP

"Oh, look a car."

"Uh, a truck."

I hear over and over as we're walking to the school from the two-year-old I care for. He just loves vehicles, so as he sees them I say, "Yes, there's a red car," or "Yep, that's a black truck." It's very common for me to look at a vehicle and notice the color first. Maybe it's because I am a teacher and I want the kids to learn their colors or maybe it's just what I do. I do the same thing with animals, "oh look there's a brown dog or a black and white cat."

My husband and son will usually look at a vehicle and know what type it is, the year it was made, and then carry on a conversation about that particular vehicle and how much they like it. It is what they notice.

A lot of times when I first see people I recognize their color. It's not because I'm racist, it's just how my brain works. I don't turn away, I just acknowledge the way God made them. After all we were all made in His image. "So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them." Genesis 1:27 AMP

I'll admit there have been times when I've first seen someone and I just get this unsafe feeling about him. I know I shouldn't judge him, but I felt uneasy. Maybe God was giving me a sense that this person was unsafe to be around. I can remember at least a couple times having this feeling. The first man I felt unsafe around ended up pulling a gun out on the church property. Luckily, it wasn't when anyone was there so no one got hurt. The second man I felt unsafe around ended up calling us and left threatening messages. Luckily, we were safe that time too.

Every time I see someone, I try not to judge him/her by the way he/she looks. I admit I'm a bit shy, so I don't usually run up to him/her with open arms but I do try to be nice. In America, we have a hodge podge of people. People of every race and nationality.  So please forgive me if I notice your color first, trust me though when I say I try to look past that and look at your character because the heart is what really matters. I try to see someone as God sees him/her. My hope is we can all do the same.

Where is Your Jesus?

And surely I am with you always, the very end of the age. Matthew 28:20b

Last Sunday, my husband was straightening up a couple things at church and lo and behold he found a baby in a crate. This baby doll was used as our baby Jesus in the last play we did back before Christmas. We had inadvertently left him at church all this time, poor baby Jesus.

Leaving this baby at church got me thinking "where is my Jesus?"

Do we think of Jesus being at church?

When my oldest son was little he was very concerned when a pastor was moving to another church, he didn't know where God was going. When we would go to church we would tell him we were going to God's house and in his little mind, the pastor must have been God because he was always there when we went to God's house. Luckily, we were able to straighten our confused son out.

Sometimes we go to church seeking Jesus, we want Him to be right there waiting for us. The good news is He is right there waiting for us, but there is even better news: Jesus is right where you are! He is always ready to hear your prayers and help you through a tough situation, all you need to do is talk to Him.

My Jesus is in my heart, He is with me every where I go, helping me through my days, through every decision, through my anger, through my temptations...Jesus is always there.

So where is your Jesus? Is he at church? Is He sitting beside you? Is He carrying you through the tough days? Or is He in that dusty Bible hidden on the shelf?

Don't forget about Him, because He won't forget about you.