Surely people are the most interesting thing God has created. We come in an infinite array of shapes, colors, weights, ages and intelligence. This afternoon I watched a wisp of an elderly lady dine. Her dyed hair did not disguise her life experience. What amazed me were her three trips back to a soup bar, her three large bread sticks, a full sized cheese burger and fries and two large colas. I’m sure I weigh twice what she does and I could never have handled all that food.
People watching is so much more interesting than bird watching or any other kind of watching. Stars are predictable but people can be most surprising. Someone asked me what I thought we would do for eternity and my response was people watching, angel watching, alien watching, etc. There will be so many beings to interview.
I’m sure for the disciples Jesus watching was filled with surprises. When they expected Him to chase away children instead He invited them to come to Him. When they expected Him to shun lepers instead He touched them. When they thought He would snub the woman at the well, she was the first person to whom He revealed His true identity. When they thought He would foster the favor of the religious establishment instead He indicted them for hypocrisy. Jesus watching will also be incredible for us because according to Hebrews , “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” That is definitely worth watching.
Robins
If they had been red-winged blackbirds we would have been bloodied. Instead they were robins and we were merely royally scolded. We had come too close to a baby just out of the nest. I must say they put up a significant defense. The little guy was flapping his wings but going nowhere and mom and dad were doing all they could to facilitate his flight.
Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem and wept for His people as He said, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” Little has changed. He still longs for us to allow Him to gather us in. He wants to come and take us home and yet, “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” II Peter 3:9.
God longs for us to take flight and soar to new realms. It is not a matter of waiting until some future time. Just as those parent robins were urging their baby to fly God is calling us to new levels of achievement and righteousness. Our lives are not to be humdrum but to be exciting adventures in development. It does not matter how old we are, opportunities abound for new growth in our intellectual and spiritual facets. He promised to send us His Holy Spirit to live within and thus continually be updating our talents and understandings. In Hebrews 1 we are promised angels to attend this growth as they bring us care packages from His throne room. This is a great family.
The Tattooed Lady
It was in the late 1940s when the circus came to town with its elephants, bears and tigers. They took the animals off the train cars and walked them through town to a big tent. It was all very exciting. These were the days way before being politically correct and the circus came with a side show. There was a fat lady, a midget, a tall skinny guy, a snake charmer and for two cents you could see the tattooed lady from far away Borneo. (She was probably from Brooklyn.) My mother would have had a fit if she had known my father had taken me inside.
It all came back to me this afternoon at Denny’s. A scantily clad tattooed woman paraded by our table. I didn’t even have to pay two cents. She looked askance at me for staring. But really isn’t that what she wanted?
Most of the time I wish to be invisible but there are times when I do want to be seen. Those are the times I want people to see Jesus. I’m not too wild about that when just walking down the street but if I am in the classroom or with a group of friends I do so hope my demeanor would radiate the love and kindness of the One I wish to be like. He told us people will know who we are if we have love for one another. While I do not have any tattoos there is one I wish I had. No not a picture of a sailing ship or my dog. I wish to have Jesus tattooed on my heart. Just maybe someone will know.