When I came around the corner into the Sunday school room, he was sitting (not by choice) with his back against the wall and screaming angrily at the world for not catering to his latest preference (I can relate). As soon as he saw me he stopped, mustered all that was left of his self control and composed himself with a still troubled but satisfied look of accomplishment on his face. I was proud of him and he knew it and a grim little smile snuck through the tears and snot that had glued his chubby little face into a frown. "What a difference seeing daddy makes", my wife quipped on the way out, and I realized as soon it hit my ears the significance was much greater than the moment.
Regardless of knowing what we aught to do... -"seeing is believing" seams like a true enough expression but I hesitate to say it. If it's worth saying at all to ourselves as believers, how do we really see Him anyway? It seams like good advice but faith can be an unsatisfying answer when you're just desperatly looking for something tangible to keep you stable for a minute.
The other night at dinner I was explaining to the kids the difference between knowing someone or just knowing about them, which of course was followed with the sage advice that "we need to know Christ, not just know about Him". "Like you know me", I explained.
"How is that helpful", my wife asked? "They can't see him like they see you". I stumbled and sputtered but still didn't have a good answer.
It's faith. It is different. I know the ways we can reason around it and work up just how real and tangible He is right now, but I still just long to see His face in person and have it snap me out of this selfish stupor I still struggle against... like my sons reaction to me. I guess the difference in reality is that it was just a picture of the future, not the present. It's faith.
No comments:
Post a Comment