I wish we could stop history and introduce people we have known over the years that we consider “special”. It would take awhile, but what a great experience! I would introduce you to “Grampa” Lange; a person who always brought a smile and a touch of excitement into the kids who knew him. Then there is Mrs. Steiner, my fourth grade teacher. Also, I must include my second and third mothers; they are great! Friends, some remembered by name, others just by our experience. The more I think about it the longer the list gets! I wonder who would be on your list. I am confident that there would be some amazing characters!
When I think about it there is a common conclusion that flows across these individuals. “The ways of right-living people glow with light; the longer they live, the brighter they shine.” (Proverbs 4.18) Each person continued to give more as time passed. While not perfect, each had something special about them that I would like to emulate.
As I look deeper, I find something more. Each person carried with them a sense of grace, mercy, and acceptance. They looked at the people around them, those they knew well and those they were just meeting, with a sense of openness and acceptance. Titles and pedigrees did not seem to impress them. They seemed able to look directly into the heart for the good struggling to find a home. They carried an echo of God with them. The longer they lived the more clearly others began to hear God's voice and sense His presence.
In searching to see God, I find the process similar. As I choose God, I find God has already chosen me. As I pursue God, I discover that if I just stop running that I can actually experience the fact that God is already beside me. By staying in the Presence, a change begins from the inside out. God is full of love, mercy, acceptance, and peace.
God is here, waiting. You and I are God's friends, even when we forget.
