To See Like My Savior: Remind Me

I don't think there is a sign big enough to hold all the things mine would need to say ...



But, so thankful that God sees my sign this way:


What would your sign say?

Yes, Lord - please remind me I am Your beloved...

PS: This is powerful coupled with the song above!

To See Like My Savior: When Nothing Has Changed

Well, it's been a while since I wrote anything on this topic - but this morning it seems appropriate. As you are reading this (if you're up early enough) we're headed to a children's hospital an hour away for Samuel to have an MRI. (Note: I'll post an update at some point, but imagine it will be a week or two before we have any results.)

Since I last shared about his vision here - we've gotten glasses, been back for a check up and even been for a second opinion. Truthfully, nothing has changed yet. And, it is easy to feel discouraged when things are not helping the way we had hoped. So, at the encouragement of our doctor - Samuel is having an MRI to make sure nothing else is going on to cause his vision problems. If it is clear {as we are hoping and praying} then the doctor will know how to proceed in treating his vision.

It can be so discouraging to think we're doing everything right - putting his glasses on him, putting the drops in his eyes, taking him for his check-ups and then to find that things aren't going the way his doctors had hoped.

And, you know what? I've felt kind of like this spiritually lately. When I feel like I am still struggling with things that have been hanging around a long time.

It's true for my heart and it is true for Samuel's eyes - all I can do is walk in what God is showing us to do. To continue to be consistent in treatment - for me, spending time in His Word and for Samuel to continue being faithful in putting on his glasses and remembering his eye drops.

For both of us, there is a certain fear of something hidden being found out. What will an MRI show? What does God truly see in my heart?

It also reminds me of a verse that has been meaningful to me lately:

"We live by faith, not by sight." ~ 2 Corinthians 5:7

So, even when it seems like nothing has changed (living by sight) - I can be confident that He is aware and that placing my faith in Him (living by faith) is a much better use of my energy!

How do you walk by faith instead of sight?

PS: Thank you all so much for your sweet comments yesterday! I smiled, I cried and I felt hugged. You are the best and I am so thankful for the gift of friendships with each of you!

Seeing things as they really are...

You know those times - the ones where you feel like a complete failure. Where you know you are ruining your children and failing at the one chance you have with them. I have been there. More often than I care to admit.

But, God is showing me something lately. He is showing me how to see my children a little bit more the way He sees them. He sees their hearts that delight in singing praise to Him. He sees that they are truly trying and desiring to be good. Though I can get easily frustrated with things seeming to be so far from where I want them to be - He encourages me that I am right there with them.

And, then this encouragement comes:

Philippians 1:6, "... he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Isn't it easy for us to get tunnel vision and see only the negative, only the long list of things we still need to work on and pray over? It is for me, I will admit.

May I encourage my own heart along with yours today? Our children are soaking up the things we are investing in them. By God's grace - they are becoming who He wants them to be. Keep at it and be of good courage - perseverance and seeking Him above all will allow us to faithfully reach the finish line and hear, "Well done."

Let's look for those glimmers of goodness and hope in our children and tell them we notice and are proud of them. Then, bring it to God as an offering of praise and thanks - with trust for the future.

** Just a few photos from around here lately.**

The Comparison Game

Frequently when I'm reflecting and soul searching, it is normal for me to look at my weaknesses and then someone will come to mind who appears to have things much more together than me and I will start down that road of comparing.

Comparing is a dangerous road to travel down.

Galatians 6:4-5, "Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load."

This is something that blogging can do to us - show us parts of others lives and who we may think they are, then we may compare or wish we were more like them.

But, it's important to remember that when God looks at me - He is not comparing me with His other creations. He knows me intimately and more truly than any other. When He looks at me - He not only sees me for me, but since I am His child - He sees His Son living in me.

When I struggle to see myself the way He does, when I think too much about how others see me - oh, I can remember He truly and deeply sees.

Are you following the Compassion Bloggers?

Are you following the Compassion Bloggers who are in the Philippines right now? I'm always so moved by these teams of bloggers who go and actually visit their sponsor children - reporting for the rest of us how very important our faithfulness in giving really is, how important our feeble attempts at letter writing really are and how blessed we each are in return by these precious children. If you have a few minutes, oh - I encourage you to read ...

... or watch this precious video via Keeper of the Home

To See Like My Savior: Awareness

It's true, isn't it? When we have something that God is doing in our hearts, we tend to notice it more everywhere around us!

This is how it has been for me with seeing. Friday morning found me on the way to the eye doctor (again) with Samuel. This time, to pick up his glasses. On the way - I was nervous about how it would go and if he would even wear the glasses that it has taken us weeks to get.

God opened my ears and I heard this on the radio:

Give Me Your Eyes lyrics
Songwriters: Heath, Brandon; Ingram, Jason David;

Looked down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight

Touched down on the cold black tar
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breathe in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos

All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared?

Give me Your eyes for just one second
Give me Your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me Your love for humanity

Give me Your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach?
Give me Your heart for the one's forgotten
Give me Your eyes so I can see
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide what's underneath

There's a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
Too ashamed to tell his wife
He's out of work, he's buying time

All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared?

Give me Your eyes for just one second
Give me Your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing

--------

I love that video - showing the stop motion of people in their daily lives and knowing that God sees each situation and scenario we are in with that much detail. We can't hurry past God! We can't hurry beneath His radar...He is always watching and He truly sees.

Because I am reminded of how He sees, it makes me want to see like that all the more. I've been amazed at how God continues to remind me of this theme - see.

And, in the car on the way to the eye dr. I thought back to where this theme began. And, why it was so meaningful to me. Oh, yes - to see myself and others the way He sees me.

To see myself the way He sees me.

Let that soak in for a minute. It is still soaking in with me - I know I haven't learned all there is that I need to learn on that. And, I'm not claiming for a minute that I see others the way He does, yet if I don't see myself the way He sees me how can I even begin to see others the way He does? If I don't believe it for myself how will I be able to encourage others in the way God sees?

Sorry, a rabbit trail there. Back to the awareness - this theme that has been etched in my heart and on my mind is everywhere. When we leave the doctors office and head to the grocery store - I see differently.

I see people smiling at a little boy who looks handsome and yes, even adorable in his little glasses.

I see how many other people really wear glasses - I am instantly aware. And, it changes the way I see.

Listening to the above song again - letting it seep in. Praying to see.

Seeing: When I don't want improved vision.

We took Samuel to the eye dr. last week to pick out his glasses. It was right after nap time, in fact I had to wake him to go.

Well, let's just say that was not a good time for him to go to the eye dr. He screamed, cried and carried on the entire time we were there. He squirmed and fought me and was generally quite disagreeable.

He loudly exclaimed that he did not want glasses, did not like them, and clearly let us know he wanted absolutely nothing to do with the matter at hand.

Glasses were picked out and we left as quick as we could.

You know what? Wearing glasses is not going to be easy for him. I know this. His good eye is going to be blurred and his lesser eye is going to be how he can see. Things are going to be blurry and frustrating for him for a while. That's going to be hard.

Sometimes I don't really want to have my vision improved either. To undergo the "treatment," to see the heartache or the needs, to look beyond myself the way I will need to if I hope to see like my Savior.

I can really identify with how Samuel acted. I'm not saying it was appropriate, but I do appreciate how real children are. They let their feelings be known and their true thoughts hang out there. They are not trying to be fake or something we hope them to be. They are so honest and so matter of fact.

The bottom line is: he doesn't want to wear glasses. I don't blame him. But he is going to have to do it. And, I could easily say the same for myself when it comes to learning to see the way God wants me to see.

Isn't it true that sometimes I'd rather just live with blurry vision than be corrected?

To See Like My Savior: Blindness Part 3

Today, we're going to wrap up our study on blindness - hope you've been blessed by this time in His Word!

As we look at the last section - let's take a closer look into the lives of those who had their sight restored. Of course, to talk about having something restored means that at one time it was not and they did without it.

What do you think it would be like to be blind?

And, then to have your sight restored?

This time instead of noting general observances and whether or not it is physical or spiritual blindness, let's consider two things: the appeal and the outcome.

What did each of these ask Jesus for? How did they come to Him?

How did He respond to them? How did He answer their appeals? Were they impacted spiritually for having been face to face with Jesus? Was it more than physical healing?

So much to consider!

As we close out this part of our study - turn your eyes to Him!

To See Like My Savior: Blindness Part 2

Remember when I shared this study? If you've been reading along or working through it - we'll continue here:

Now that we've studied the passages teaching about blindness - let's begin to pull that together and make some applications.

If you're working through the study - look at the themes you wrote down and see if there is one overarching theme that you can take away from this time in His Word.

Come up with your own definition of blindness and sight! And, consider what the number one thing that has come to mind as a result of this study. How can you apply this? Ask God to show you what He has in mind for application in your own life!

I'd love to hear some of the themes that appeared to you - here are a few things I observed:

* God can restore sight - He created it and He is in control!

* There is no respect of persons with Him. (Ephesians 6)

* Sin can be blinding.

* Blindness or sight: either one can bring Him glory!

* All hardships are not sin - but what will allow us to see God at work and show His glory. I loved Luke 18:40-43 and wondered if the man had ever seen before? Imagine his faith! This thought spurred on the next section where we'll look at the appeals made and Jesus' responses.

Eyes in Training

Today was the day. We got up extra early (well, the littles did anyway!) and hit the road! A friend graciously agreed to watch the little ladies and Samuel and I had the day to ourselves. You may remember me mentioning Samuel's eye and we went to see a Pediatric specialist today.

Last night, I was busy getting everything ready. I had snacks for both the girls to take and for in the car, a movie for Samuel to watch, maps, directions, medical forms and history ~ everything I could think of to prepare.

But, how to prepare my heart ~ I sort of felt at a loss. Not sure where I'm going, not sure what to expect, not sure of the outcome. But, sure of God going before me, with me and being alongside of Samuel and I. Thankful for a day to be with just my little boy. Just to enjoy him. To have him all to myself.

We got to see the sun come up:

Samuel was sooooo good! What a trooper. We found out that he has Accommodative Esotropia and unlike the normally seen variety (farsighted) he is borderline nearsighted. So, he has a prescription for bifocals and eye drops. The drops will blur his good eye (dilate) so that he is forced to use his lazier eye.

It struck me during this process that someone like little Samuel needs his eyes trained so they can see well. It won't be a quick fix, but a process. And, so for me as I strive to see like my Savior!

I won't instantly be looking at the world around me (if ever!) the way He does. It is going to require constant and disciplined training. I guess we'll be learning together in our home! One to see physically and one to see spiritually!

To See Like My Savior: Blindness Part 1

A big portion of this series will be devoted to living out the Prescription! This is where it really hits our everyday lives and a place we should definitely camp out! This month, we'll look at the use of the word blind in Scripture and see what we can learn about how God wants us to see! Would you like to join me?

SEE - Blindness Word Study

I'm going to go ahead and post the whole study now - but only highlight one section each week. This week - we'll look at passages referring to blindness in the Old Testament. There are 25 Old Testament references listed here which I found in Strong's Concordance.

As I went through and looked each of these up - I found myself considering whether or not God was referring to physical, spiritual or figurative blindness. So, you will see a place for you to circle P S or F on each line to remind you which kind of blindness we are being taught about.

In some cases, I thought it was more than one kind of blindness or saw how it could refer to both physical and spiritual blindness. And, there is really no correct answer - just read with an open heart asking God to show you what He wants you to learn from His Word and note those things here.

Let's go ahead and look at the first passage together:

Exodus 4:11, "The Lord said to him, 'Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord?'

First of all, does this refer to physical blindness, spiritual blindness or both? I wrote down physical - but since the Lord is speaking it could truly be any of the answers. I think that is important to note - we will each interpret the verses with the measure of grace God has given to each of us. There are not right or wrong answers - but His answers!

To me, it stands out in this verse that God is the one who gives and withholds sight. It reminds me of His authority and strength. He is worthy, He is almighty.

Note: As you are working through these passages, when you see a theme emerge - go ahead and make a note of that at the end of the chart. We'll come back to reviewing those later, just note them for now.

Ok, I'm not going to muddy the waters with any further words - but feel free to print out the study and see for yourself what God's Words says about blindness: physical, spiritual and otherwise.

PS: If you want to read this entire series on seeing - click the eye chart button on my right sidebar or click here.

To See Like My Savior: The Prescription

Getting to this point - the prescription, the help is such a process! We don't usually just call and explain the situation and get a prescription by skipping all the other steps.

In the same way - we cannot come to God asking Him to "fix" us without a process.

I notice something as I think about the process. It really requires something of us ~ it is a change of thinking. If I may say so, I think that we have to change the way we are viewing our hearts and our symptoms - we have to view them the way HE views them to truly see our need.

When He has our hearts and shows us how far we are from Him - we see our need for Him and we want the prescription and we are willing to do almost anything to have our fellowship with Him restored.

Something happens to us in this process.

Last time, I mentioned the idea that when we begin to hear the diagnosis - we shift into the role of a student. We are learners and our job is to listen and find out all we can about our diagnosis.

In this shift, isn't there a humility? It strikes me that there is just this: a humility in coming for the exam, to be open and vulnerable and to receive the diagnosis. Sure, I can have a hard heart and not receive the help offered or suggestions given ~ but to progress and change will require a soft heart. An open heart. A heart of humility.

This reminds me of Jesus' Disciples. He called them to come follow Him and they came. They were His students, His helpers. Their job was to listen, learn and obey.

May I propose that the first element of our prescription is becoming students of His?

Since we have established that during the exam, we are made aware of how we fall short of Him - wouldn't our goal be to be more like Him? To be more like Him - we must know more of Him.

And, so we study Him. His Word. And, we listen.

When He becomes our private tutor ~ the time with Him is never enough. Devouring all I can of His Word, of time with Him soon begins to create a hunger and a thirst for more of Him. Oh, that this would be true of all of us! To never have enough time with our Lord!

I believe that as we become His students and allow ourselves to be taught ~ He will bring the next parts of the prescription as they pertain to our specific symptoms. He will teach us through His Word and impress things into our hearts and minds that require our action and prayer.

The key is here: He will do the leading and we will follow.

I can't think of any better way to apply this than to begin studying right now! I've begun studying by looking at blindness - and what God's word has to say about this. It will probably take me a month to share all of that - so stay tuned!

To See Like My Savior: A Process

Yesterday morning (written last week), I found myself living out all of these words I've already shared. Literally. And, I realize this process of making an appointment, keeping it, having the exam and hearing the diagnosis will be a cycle that will last my whole life. I'll always need visits with my Heavenly Optometrist.

We had made an eye appointment for Samuel with a local ophthalmologist. (I know that looks mis-spelled, but trust me it is right. I've spelled it so many times the last few days that I learned how to spell it to quit seeing the red line under it!)

I was right in the middle of the vulnerability of the exam. The dr. was looking closely at his eyes, observing and asking questions but never giving one hint of anything. For an hour, I watched him try different scenarios, dilate Samuel's eyes, etc... and the whole time I am wondering if he is going to tell me I am crazy that nothing was there.

We took Samuel in because we noticed his right eye tended to wander towards the bridge of his nose. With family history of a lazy eye, glasses, contacts, laser surgery, etc... we felt that this was worth checking into.

After the hour, the dr. said he agreed with us that he saw something there. And, it was not the more common (code for easier to fix) situation but possibly more complex. So, we got a referral to a Pediatric Ophthalmologist in a bigger city where we will take him next month.

All of this hit me hard initially. Eyes are not something I want to mess with. And, I had no idea when God gave this word see, that it would come to mean something so literal to me.

As we left and I squeezed this little guy a little tighter for how good he'd been through all of the exam process, I was feeling vulnerable and scared. I got everyone in the car to head home and as I turned on the car - we heard the Go Fish music we'd had on. (I could not find a video of the song - but you can hear part of it here.)

Driving out of the parking lot and turning back onto the road - I heard a phrase,

"I need Your help to make my vision 20/20"

As preoccupied as I was, only God could've allowed me to hear just that phrase at that moment. So, I instantly became more in tune to the rest of the song, especially the chorus:

I wanna be the way that You want me to be
I wanna hear You say that You’re so proud of me
I wanna do the things that You want me to do
Oh Lord, I wanna be just like You

That puts it into a bit more perspective, doesn't it! No matter what, I want to be who He wants me to be and I want that for Samuel too. Even if his vision is not 20/20 - I do want him to be one who pleases God. And, I started to just feel thankful that Samuel can see. And, thankful that I can see him and enjoy having him as part of our family.

And, the journey of seeing continues...

To See Like My Savior: Fixing My Eyes Part Two

A couple of days later - I was struggling again. Fearing again. Not feeling good. I ate a pitifully small dinner and snuggled on the couch with little Samuel while the others were out for the evening. I read my Bible - studying all those times He taught about blindness. I watched Thomas the Train and exclaimed over Percy being frozen by Jack Frost and Thomas being buried in the snow.

It was one of those places where I couldn't decide if I really didn't feel good or if I just needed a fresh perspective. You know those times? When you're just really down and a friend calls and you feel so much better after talking for just a few minutes? Yes, that is where I was.

Everyone got home and I pretty much went straight to bed ~ praising God for the gift of rest and the restoration of sleep. After a good sleep and a good breakfast, I was feeling some better - but then our morning happened. Just the usual craziness going on in a home with three young children.

I called my mother-in-law and asked if I could bring my children over to play for a little while so I could run some errands and catch my breath. She graciously agreed. We made it through the morning somehow and I dropped them off. She said she was going to take them out to lunch and to play so I would have several hours and she'd just bring them home later. We switched cars and I was flooded with thankfulness - just for the provision that God made.

Sometimes we need help on this journey. And, I'm usually slow at asking for help - but look at the response I received.

I did my errands with a slower pace than I usually have the freedom to take. And, it was like the time alone and the quiet were restoring me. Sometimes we really do need time to refresh.

Grocery shopping. Check.
Pick up pictures. Check.
Lunch. Check.
Craft Supplies. Check.

I headed home with a lighter heart and got things settled in quickly. I gathered my crafting things and a movie from the library. Peaceful lights, sitting on my bed, looking out my window, being restored in all these things.

I cut circles for over and hour just relishing the quiet, the peace, the calm, the healing of creating. One thing I've learned about myself is that I have a need to create. When I am off center, worn out, struggling - it is one of the things that brings me back and helps me re-focus and feel refreshed.

So, for the rest of the afternoon - I worked and I could hardly stop. It was so therapeutic.

Fix my eyes on Him.

Ask for help.

Create.

Step out of my tunnel vision and get a fresh perspective. All of these things help me in seeing more clearly.

What clears your vision when things are getting muddy?

* * *

Felt heart tutorial here. HT: Amy
Tree is just a stick from my yard with tiny hearts glued on.
Strung doilies on baker's twine make a charming garland!

To See Like My Savior: Fixing My Eyes Part One

This two-part post is going to be just a tad out of order! I have the Prescription post all written and ready - but this idea of fixing my eyes on Him has been very real to me lately. So, we'll just go with it!

I wrote this first part while sitting and waiting for my girls during ballet/tap class. I brought a book and my Bible and this is what was on my heart.

* * *

There's a fear that seems to chase me, and often it is so close that I'm consumed by its grip. It doesn't seem to matter how often I tell myself that fear has no place. I know that fear, worry and anxiety are wrong. I know it!

Yet, it plagues me. This fear. This fear of getting sick - of fevers and tummies aching and rejecting their usual delights.

My ears seem to be locked in on one frequency - the one channel that can hear every child saying their sibling is home sick, the mom who mentions their home has had this undesired visitor for two weeks: the fevers, the sipping at Sprite and nibbling of Saltines.

And, I find myself counting the hours after being with others - if we make it past dinner, through this night, after lunch - we should be clear.

Sterilizing and sanitizing and germ-killing is at the front of my mind. Yet, there lingers another thought:

What kind of sickness am I addicted to in living with this fear as it comes and goes, ebbs and flows? Why do I willingly spend y time and energy on this - it won't last forever ... the sickness would be much shorter than all these added moments and days of worry.

And I realize: sickness is so out of my control.

Others may compromise and expose my family, we live in a sinful world where sickness is part of life. For me, this is more than a 24-hour bug, it is a plague of sorts. One that threatens to overtake me as it chooses. Those around me see the foolishness of my fear, yet it persists, and I am obsessed with the possibility and the what-ifs.

Why am I willing to sacrifice sleep and peace and peace of mind? Why do I sacrifice time and energy that I can hardly afford to spend much less waste?

I think the answer lies in my word for this year: see.

I am choosing to fix my sight on something other than Christ. I am seeing all right, but not the things of eternity, of perfect peace, of trust and rest and faith.

Next, I am reminded of words like ~

"... was blind but now I see..."

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus!"

"I fix my eyes on You, the author of my faith..."

"Open the eyes of my heart, I want to see You."

* * *

To be continued tomorrow ...

To See Like My Savior: The Diagnosis

Once we have passed through the exam, we begin to expect some feedback from the Physician!

Really, during the exam - we are the ones answering questions, performing certain tasks, etc... and the one conducting the exam may be very quiet - just taking everything in and observing.

But, feedback is what we're really waiting for. Educated opinions about our set of symptoms. Isn't that true in so much of life - feedback is what we often crave? This prompts me to ponder: whose feedback am I seeking? I bet you can guess where this is going!

Think of it this way - when we have a physical symptom of something we may be wondering about - we start looking for feedback...or is this just me?!

I've been known to look symptoms up online, ask friends, etc... but, rarely do I call one who knows - set up the appointment, describe the symptoms, seek professional advice. Why? Because it seems like a small thing or I don't want to be laughed at or incur the extra expense.

Would I really just go ask Joe down at the corner for help when I need someone who knows?

My point is this - I will begin looking so many places for answers - but when it comes to my spiritual sight or any other aspect - who knows me better than my Lord?

Part of my job during the hearing of the diagnosis is to listen. Really listen to what is being shared. I need to be willing to hear the results, to receive and be open to what I hear even if I don't like it.

God is an expert on our nature and hearts - He made them! When He reveals an area to me, I must be open to hearing from Him. To hear His heart for me.

This can be scary - it is an extremely vulnerable place. And, while not every doctor I've encountered has a good bed-side manner, God has that down pat! He is an expert in caring for us, in showing grace and tenderness. We can trust the source and know we won't need a second opinion!

When we submit ourselves to being examined in light of the standard of His Word - we may immediately see where we've fallen short.

Ultimately, this is always our diagnosis isn't it? We've fallen short of God's standard.

Other times, we may notice a theme emerging from studying His Word or He may place a theme in our hearts where we are struggling.

When I am truly submitted to Him, really seeking His heart - I believe He will reveal the root of the problem to me.

As I was working through this study, I recall one night really struggling with fear and the unknown, and again starting to see myself as less than God sees me.

He brought all of this to mind and my next thoughts were - what is God's standard? How does He see me? (This is the exam at work!)

And, then my heart heard - anything that makes me feel captive or in bondage is not God - He brings freedom!

This brought to mind a sign I have in my entry way: By Grace Alone. I really looked at the words, I read the message on the back.

Grace.

What it really boils down to! I was able to be at peace - after the exam, diagnosis and prescription! And, it is just a quick example of the process - it is not a one time deal, but a way to train myself to respond when I notice the symptoms creeping in.

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is - there is freedom."

I feel like I've rabbit-trailed a bit in sharing this - but it is a trail He has led!

And, then I see that it isn't really off the trail at all when I consider this:

When we receive a diagnosis for our symptoms - we are instantly a student. We are learning and this knowledge will serve us again and again. We will remember what the doctor said and maybe seek out more on what he shared. This will begin to shape our thoughts and form a place we can add to and come back to anytime we need it.

As I look back over this lengthy post - I see: grace and freedom from Him cover it all.

To See Like My Savior: The Exam

Once we have an appointment, we are held accountable to keep it!

You and I certainly know the drill: Get to the office, let the receptionist know we are there, wait and sometimes wait some more. We're called back by a nurse who will ask us some introductory questions and get a few preliminary things out of the way. We often wait again before the doctor comes in.

It strikes me right now that we are so blessed to be able to meet with God anytime and any place! There is not a waiting room and He is always ready!

But, here's the thing about the exam - we must be open and honest about our symptoms or struggles. The one giving the exam has been trained to notice things out of the ordinary and to hear what we're saying and maybe discern that we're not saying everything.

Knowing we're being observed with a trained eye can be a bit unnerving. This is a very vulnerable place to be.

We may have to have a few tests for our doctor to fully understand our specific situation, but all of this time - he is observing and beginning to process our results.

Naturally, this leads me to say that all of these thoughts relate to an actual trip to the doctor's office. How does God conduct an exam on us?

Yes, that is exactly what I am pondering. He has His eyes on us all the time, He can see all of our symptoms and knows what we need without us making an appointment to come in and seek His help.

Here's a thought - even though He knows what we need and how to help - He does not force Himself on us. He consistently sets a perfect example for us to follow and then He works in our lives so that we come to Him for help!

I think He really does want us to come to Him and share our symptoms and ask for His help. And, by His grace - we get to that point by the work of the Holy Spirit!

We are convicted through His Word, the encouragement/challenge of a friend, a song, a spoken word or in a gentle nudging in our hearts.

When we come to Him - the exam begins - but in God's grace - we are really the ones carrying it out.

You see, in an exam - there is a standard, a perfect starting place. For example - 20/20 vision is where we want to be so we can see well. So, 20/20 vision is the goal - the standard. When we realize we aren't seeing 20/20 - correction is recommended to help us in that.

Let's bring this back to the spiritual realm. When God, through the Holy Spirit, brings me to the place where I share my symptoms and seek His help - we already know the standard to attain and strive for. Our goal is to be Christ-like, to live according to His Word. When we look at our symptoms in light of our goal - we are conducting the exam.

This principle could apply in many areas - but since I'm wanting to learn about seeing myself and others the way God does - let's think about what this exam might look like:

* Am I consistently listening to the lie that I am not good enough? Or, worse - that I'm not good at all, a failure?

The standard: "God saw all that He had made and it was very good." Genesis 1:31

God made me in His image and He declared His creation very good. When I believe lies about myself and repeat them to myself - it is like telling God that His creation is not very good, that He is lying. It is like taking His creativity and throwing it back at Him and saying we don't like it.

* If I believing things like this (above) about myself - what other ways am I falsely looking at myself?

The standard: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts..." Psalm 139:23

Ask God to seek my heart and reveal any wicked way within me.

* Would I let my children say or believe that (insert anything you need to here)?

The standard: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." Philippians 4:8

* Lord, do I think too highly of myself?

The standard: "For by the grace given me I say to everyone of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." Romans 12:3

* Is the way I see myself the way I want God or others to see me?

The standard: "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outer appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'" 1 Samuel 16:7

* What about my children? I am setting an example for them - but what kind of example?

The standard: "Train a child in the way he should go..." Proverbs 22:6

* Am I thinking or believing things about myself for selfish gain? Am I hoping for pity or praise? Am I seeking a certain response?

The standard: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." Philippians 2:3

Seek Him in performing an exam of our hearts! Take some time to sit with these or your own questions and just listen - jot down thoughts or Scripture He brings to mind and then be in prayer about those things.

Keep your appointment and meet with the Great Physician!

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Thank you, Katie, for the fitting notecards!