I was out shopping this morning and had time to pause and people watch (I'm a writer; that's part of my job description :) ) while my hubby and our youngest daughter was in a store. While standing there, waiting and watching and wondering about 'this and that', I didn't make eye contact with many people - deliberately. I was in my world and I was happy to leave them in theirs. Then someone walked by me, on their own, and I felt the Holy Spirit nudge me - which knocked me out of my own little dream world. It wasn't the first person to walk by me, and it wasn't the first one I saw on their own, and I didn't give much thought to them, to be honest. But God drew my attention to them by saying (from His heart/Spirit to mine), "They were disappointed (to the point of sadness, not anger) you didn't acknowledge them." And this was a stranger.
When God pointed that out, it moved my heart, and I was reminded of that story one often sees floating around Facebook that speaks of someone who left a note saying something like, "If no one smiles at me as I travel from home to the bridge, I will commit suicide..." and my heart ached for the stranger that walked on by.
Of that person, God impressed upon my heart, "He didn't want anything other than to be acknowledged." He needed someone to see him. Anyone would have done. Oh, how lonely must that man have been.
In the next moment, remembering what God has me looking for as I'm reading through the Bible this time (His hand), I felt led to look for God's hand in the lives of all the people in my view. Obviously I don't know their story, where they're coming from or what the future holds for them, but when I looked - really looked at them, through the eyes of God, and while looking for God - I felt His love for them, and He said to me, "Basically, everyone just wants to be loved..." Ohhh...
I sensed God standing by each and every person I laid eyes on, wanting to bless and help them, and willing them to see that He loves them. My heart moved and I saw how important every single person is to God, no matter what their background or what happened to bring them to where they were 'now'. He was looking at their heart; loving their heart; loving them.
No matter how people dress, no matter their attitude, no matter what their status, deep down -- and often buried beneath the brokenness -- people just want to be loved...don't we... And God is 'here', wanting to love you. You just have to let Him in. <3
When God pointed that out, it moved my heart, and I was reminded of that story one often sees floating around Facebook that speaks of someone who left a note saying something like, "If no one smiles at me as I travel from home to the bridge, I will commit suicide..." and my heart ached for the stranger that walked on by.
Of that person, God impressed upon my heart, "He didn't want anything other than to be acknowledged." He needed someone to see him. Anyone would have done. Oh, how lonely must that man have been.
In the next moment, remembering what God has me looking for as I'm reading through the Bible this time (His hand), I felt led to look for God's hand in the lives of all the people in my view. Obviously I don't know their story, where they're coming from or what the future holds for them, but when I looked - really looked at them, through the eyes of God, and while looking for God - I felt His love for them, and He said to me, "Basically, everyone just wants to be loved..." Ohhh...
I sensed God standing by each and every person I laid eyes on, wanting to bless and help them, and willing them to see that He loves them. My heart moved and I saw how important every single person is to God, no matter what their background or what happened to bring them to where they were 'now'. He was looking at their heart; loving their heart; loving them.
No matter how people dress, no matter their attitude, no matter what their status, deep down -- and often buried beneath the brokenness -- people just want to be loved...don't we... And God is 'here', wanting to love you. You just have to let Him in. <3