There was just one. It dropped out of the corner of my eye, and before I could
reach up to wipe it away, it had already coursed down my cheek. Where had it
come from, this single tear?
In completion of an exercise given out at our home Bible study group, I had been
spending some rare quiet time with my Best Friend. The assignment hadn't been
specific. The only instructions were to find a quiet place away from
distractions, and open our hearts to God. Finding a quiet place is a challenge
in my house, however, so when I found myself facing a 90 minute wait in the car
while my boys were at puppet practice, I seized the opportunity to do my
homework!
To try to explain in words the magnitude of those 90 minutes would be an
impossible feat. All I can say is that God was right there in my car with me,
and His presence was so tangible, his voice so loud, that I kept expecting to
see Him in the passenger's seat. The things God told me were numerous and far
too personal to put down on paper, but the one thing that really stuck out in my
mind was the words of Col. 3:12: "As those who are CHOSEN OF GOD, HOLY AND
BELOVED . . ." I was CHOSEN by God! I was HOLY! I was BELOVED! It was not an
idea I had contemplated before, and to say that if left me in awe would be an
understatement.
And now, as the 90 minutes drew to a close, I closed my eyes to reflect on this
for just a few more minutes: "Chosen by God" . . . "Holy" . . . "Beloved" . . .
What did this mean in practical terms? How did this status of "Beloved" by God
really manifest itself in everyday life?
That's when I felt the warm, wet stream course down my right cheek, the cheek
closest to the passenger's seat. My eyes snapped back open. Tears aren't foreign
to me, but I didn't feel any of the emotions that usually accompany them. "Maybe
I'm just tired," I mumbled. But that wasn't right either. When my eyes are
tired, they BOTH water and I get LOTS of tears . . . What was going on?
Then He spoke: "I shed that tear," He said. "When you start up that engine, your
mind will return to other things: what to cook for dinner, whether or not you
will get funding for that equipment at work, how to teach your boys to put their
clothes away . . . The thought that our time together will soon end brought
tears to my eyes, and one of them dropped on your cheek."
"Oh Lord!" I breathed, almost reverently touching that still-moist spot. "You
have enjoyed this time as much as I have! But . . . How . . ."
My question about how a busy God would have time for me was immediately
interrupted by the first line of Col. 3:12: "Chosen by God, holy, beloved . . ."
Suddenly the full meaning of this verse struck me: I am God's beloved. He
desires to spend time with ME, to commune with ME, to have a relationship, a
friendship with ME!
"Oh Lord," I repeated, "why can't we do this more often?"
He didn't answer. He didn't need to. I already knew. He WAS always there. It was
ME who was too busy, too insecure. It was MY adamant belief that the God of the
universe didn't have time to spend with me; MY poor self-image that shouted I
wasn't important to God.
"Oh Lord," I repeated. "Help me to ALWAYS realize how close You are, how much
You desire to be with me! Help me to NEVER again let busyness or insecurity come
between us! Lord, help these 90 minutes to go on forever!"
His response was clear: "That's exactly what I died for!"
"So as those who are chosen by God, holy and beloved . . ." (Col. 3:12)
Lyn Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.