Captivated

I have a god-daughter named Sarah Katelynn. When she was eight days old, I drove more than 3 hours in an ice storm to meet her. I happily sat up most of 2 nights with her because I was captivated. I had never seen a creature so tiny and perfect and amazing. Everything she did was interesting and incredible. I couldn’t get enough of taking in every detail of her from her tiny, pink fingers that gripped my fingers to her angel-fine eyelashes that rested on her little porcelain-like cheeks. For hours and hours, I held her cradled to my heart, humming prayers for her. As I looked down at her, I realized that I had never seen or experienced anything so precious. And inside me welled up this larger-than-life need to protect and take care of her. In those moments when she would open her little blue eyes, look up at me and smile, the world just seemed right.

That is how God feels about us.

Before the beginning of what we call “time,” in the workroom of Heaven, God held me in the palm of His hand. He looked at me and said, “She’s good. She has a seed of greatness in her. All of her life, I will care for her and as long as she will let me, I will walk beside her, advise her, guide her, and protect her.”

It doesn’t always feel like it. Sometimes, I feel like I’m a mistake–a waste of space, of skin, of breath. Why am I even here? I don’t do anything right. And every time I feel steady on my feet, the rug gets pulled out from under me again. I’m not good at anything. I’m okay at a few things, but there are people who are better than me. And if people really got to know me, they wouldn’t like me at all. I’m annoying. I talk too much. I push too hard. I overwhelm people. I’m bothersome. A complete and total nuisance.

Oh, wait… I’m supposed to be encouraging here…

It doesn’t always seem like it, but God is watching me, still. He set me into my mother’s belly and sent me into a world where I could grow up and choose to walk however I wanted. Or, I could choose to walk with Him. But either way, He watches and waits for me to open my eyes, look up into His eyes, grasp His hand, and smile.

 

This post is part of our weekly discussion on AW Tozer’s classic book, “The Pursuit of God” and was inspired by the following quote from Chapter 7:

 “When we lift our inward eyes to gaze upon God we are sure to meet friendly eyes gazing back at us, for it is written that the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout all the earth.”

If you wrote a response to this week’s chapter, please feel free to go link up at the widget at Jason Stasyszen’s place. I’ll see you back here next week, when I will again be hosting the widget and we will be discussing Chapter 8.

About Sarah Salter

Comments

  1. Barbara Capps says:

    Sista Sarah… you always make me think.. I believe that is in you to make me do that.. . Like you said…He knew us before we were born… And that says it all..

  2. Brava! “The tongue of the wise brings healing.” Bill Gothard said that wisdom was “seeing things from God’s perspective.” Being able to articulate the frustrations of the human soul but still draw our eyes upwards to our Father’s throne, is a gift like David in the Bible had. “As deep calls unto deep, so my soul….”

    Bless God for your gift and for your willingness to not only be transparent, but to be honest about God’s love for us and invitation for us to keep the eyes of our heart–on Him. That is that same grace that calls us to Free fall into the vast firmament of His love–and respond in cheerful obedience to His call to-be-with Him-in every move.

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