What are you lookin’ at?

On any given day, I leave my home and head out into the world. I am a white female, forty-seven years old and about six feet tall. I weigh about one hundred and eighty-five pounds; I have blonde hair that is in the awkward phase of growing out from a short pixie cut. I have bluish-green eyes, fair skin with a few freckles, and a few wrinkles. I have long arms, long legs, a long torso, and size ten feet. I’d say I have an attractive and welcoming smile. I like to wear make-up, not to look made up, but to accent my features. I dress for comfort, I like my jeans and t-shirts, and I pretty much wear sneakers all the time, out of need, not necessarily desire. I clean up pretty well but only play dress up when I have to.

I may just be going out to run errands, go meet a friend, volunteer at the school, or go to dinner with my family. No matter what I’m doing, chances are, in my line of sight, are dozens of other people and sometimes many more. Each individual human has their own unique hair color, eye color, skin color, personality, they are of all different sizes and shapes. They are God’s creation!  Regardless of what I see, no matter how they respond or react to others, or me they are valuable and precious in God’s sight.

I know I am guilty of passing judgment on others despite my best human efforts to not. It may be something about their physical appearance, the clothes they wear, the car they drive, how they treat me, if they cut me off in traffic, or even simply their attitude. I am guilty because I am a sinful and flawed human being.

I also admittedly have been witness to and seen Jesus in others.

Then God said: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…” Genesis 1:26

I have seen Jesus in the children at the school where I volunteer,  in the faces of strangers reaching out to another human being in need, and in the faces of my friends and family. I’m pretty sure that if all of those external features we call “looks” of any of us were to be made invisible or taken away, leaving only our hearts, we would all look pretty much the same. The human, anatomical heart may not be very pretty in and of itself but it is what God looks to when He sees his children.

But the Lord said to Samuel: “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart.” 1Samuel 16:7

I believe God gives us glimpses of Himself in others to draw us to him. He desires to be in close relationship with us and wants to live in our hearts. He wants us to see the best in others, lift each other up and “love our neighbors”. If we could see others the way Jesus does, by looking at each other’s hearts, how much better would the world be? It would be perfect the way God intended.

I pray that God enables me to see others the way that he does, that I can see Jesus in every person I come in contact with. Mostly I am that flawed, sinful human being, but I have hope in Jesus, and faith that He hears my prayers and will help me to be the best version of myself possible. I pray that others can see Jesus in me and I pray for you.

I hope you enjoy my “heART”!

Won’t you share a time you witnessed Jesus in another person? How did it make you feel? Did you tell them? Feel free to comment below.

Peace & Blessings,

Kimberly