“Thank you for seeing something in me of Jesus.” Those words were part of an email I received recently. They came at a time when my friend is hurting … a LOT! “I am just trying to get through each day with love and courage.”
You know, I had not thought of the fact that I am “seeing Jesus” in her. But most certainly I am. And as she is “just trying to get through each day” she is displaying Jesus to so many around her. And she is doing it well. I am so thankful to call her a friend.
I wonder if that might just be the very best way I can affirm others, to observe how they are living, to see Jesus in them and to share that with them. After all, I want my life to be a picture of Jesus to my world. And it is so encouraging when another notices and points that out to me.
My sister wants to do some work on our family tree. She emailed me a question about a certain web resource. I could not help her, but I knew another one of my friends could. So I forwarded her question on. WOW, I received an above and beyond response. Not only did my friend answer her question, she pointed my sister to additional resources and offered to personally help her. I was overwhelmed. But I shouldn’t have been. My friend was living out who God created her to be.
My friend loves to serve. It is one of her spiritual gifts. And my friend loves genealogy. Put the two together and it was very natural for her to offer to help my sister. My friend was being a picture of Jesus to me and to my sister. How affirming to her to let her know that I see Jesus in her.
For a long time I thought that I need a certain role to have a platform where others would see Jesus in me. Not true. Others can see Jesus in me and I in them when we live from the heart God gave us.
“And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes I me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light …”
John 12:44,45
Father, please help me to see You in my friends and to be quick to affirm them. Amen