By Karen Moore
karenmooreauthor.com
Your opinion, your point of view, and what you see when you look out at the world, are unique aspects of who you are. Your view is colored by your own cognitive biases and perspectives built on years of shaping your experience of life. You and your neighbor may see the exact same scene but only vaguely touch on points of agreement.
Our own unique spin
So, the idea here is that if we each bring our own unique spin to what we see, how does that help or hinder us from seeing God? For some, seeing is believing. If you don’t see God’s hand at work in your life, it may be because you aren’t sure He’s even there. You imagine if you could see Him, well, then, you’d believe in Him. For others of us, believing is seeing, and so the more we believe in God, the more we recognize His presence everywhere we go. What we see then, has a lot to do with the data we’ve collected through life.
Humans are temporary at best. We go from being an “I am” to an “I was” fairly quickly. We imagine our intellect and our opinions define reality. We may think we are on this planet by chance, brought here by biology, living for no real purpose at all and then returning to the dust. If that’s true, then whether you live as a kind and loving person, or as an angry and jaded person, life is just a short ride and then it’s over. You are not equipped for eternity.
When God told Moses His name was “I Am Who I Am,” He was affirming He existed, and not only that, but He existed generations before Moses and He would exist generations after Moses. God can’t be a “was.” He has neither beginning nor end. You and I have both a beginning and an end. When we were born, God put a little part of Himself within us, in that place we call the soul, and He waits for us to discover He’s there. When we do, we begin to see more clearly. We realize we are not just some carbon life forms, but we are intentional and special. We are more than we even imagine because God breathed His Spirit into us and proved His love for us through Jesus.
God sees you clearly. He sees your doubt, your intellectual rejection, your emotional uncertainty and your great heart. He sends people to help you along the way, to strengthen you when you can’t stand a moment longer on your own, so you can see His hand at work in your life. The fact is you are so important to God, He will keep sending love and hope and possibility into your life until the day you breathe your last. He sees you as good and beautiful.
When you make the slightest effort to see Him more clearly, a door will open, a light will shine and God’s Spirit will guide you from that moment on.
God sees everything you are. In His love for you, He wants you to see everything He is, and everything He can be to you.
Keep looking!
Letters to the Editor
I am 93 years old and enjoy The Alabama Baptist, especially the Sunday School lessons. Because of my health, I don’t get to go to church very often and TAB makes a difference. Thank you for TAB.
Harold Meals, Athens
For seven years, I have been my wife Anita’s sole caregiver.
Patricia Jumbo-Lucioni’s article in your April 18 edition was most interesting. I know so little about Alzheimer’s, so love, prayer and common sense is all I have to work with. We take long walks as she holds tight to my arm. Food, exercise, rest and prayer get us through day by day.
Don Jones, Indian Springs
EDITOR’S NOTE — Your Voice is the opinion section of The Alabama Baptist print newspaper. To submit a letter to the editor, click here.
Goal Mind
Weekly bits of wit and wisdom
By Charles Ghigna, who taught creative writing at Samford University and is the author of more than 100 books for children and adults. Below are a few samples of his poems from FatherGoose.com.
Heartful
Fill your heart with
gratitude
For all you cherish
and adore.
Let your smile warm
the world —
Love is what we’re
living for.
Good Measure
Success is often
measured best
Not by how high or far,
But what you had
to sacrifice
To get to where you are.
Response Ability
Responsibility is our
Most favored point of view.
Responding with ability
To what we say and do.
In case you missed these nuggets
Excerpts from the April 25 edition of The Baptist Paper:
“Yet through these dark times, we see strength. In spite of the hopelessness and darkness, we see a glimmer of light. Churches are being planted because of the need for hope. With bombs and danger in their face, they want to hold onto their faith,” said Yaroslav “Slavik” Pyzh, president of Ukrainian Baptist Theological Seminary in Lviv, of the ongoing war Ukraine.
_________________________
“I think that’s what defines me the most is my faith. I believe in one Creator, that I’ve been called to come out here, do my best, compete and glorify God, and that’s pretty much it,” said Scottie Scheffler, two-time Masters champion.
_________________________
“Sports ministry is so crucial … an opportunity to bring people into your church who likely have not heard of Christ or heard very little. His ways are always better. That is the exciting part to me,” said Brent McFadden, the sports and recreation minister at First Baptist Church Dallas.
_________________________
“I’m going to tell you my great strategy: I never say no,” said Garry Eudy, president of Volunteer Baptists International, with a laugh. “If someone calls us and says, ‘We have two or three people who want to go on a missions trip. Can you take us?’ we say yes. If someone calls and says, ‘We have over 100 people in our group. Can you take us?’ we say yes.’’
To read these articles and find out more about The Baptist Paper, visit tbponline.org. Call 800-803-5201 to add the paper to your TAB subscription.
It’s baseball season.
I know. Some of you might not enjoy the game. Some of you might not understand the game. Some of you might not have time for the game.
I’m not writing this to explain or defend the game of baseball. I’m not writing this to confess my love of the sport. I’m not writing this to let you know some of my best writing happens with a baseball game beside me on the screen. I’m not writing this to admit some of my most fun experiences watching baseball games in person.
I’m writing this to remind us all that life is more like baseball than we realize. The slow, long game occurs in innings. But each pitch, each swing, each throw, each catch, each call matters. Small, passive events are actually big and active.
Like life. A swing changes an inning. A catch impacts a game. An error sways a series.
In life, a thought or a word or a decision has lasting consequences.
Welcome a season of realizing every inning counts. Every relationship counts. Every action counts.
How will we pitch today so that we’re grateful tomorrow?
I pray this is a season of victory.
One pitch, one inning, one series at a time. One word, one conversation, one thought at a time.
I pray this is a season of victory.
Chris Maxwell
Blog post from ChrisMaxwell.me
Prayer is not so much about asking God for what we want, as it is about discovering what He wants for us.
When our prayers are meant to get to know God, find strength and do His will, they bring tremendous results — sometimes even supernatural results.
This kind of praying is powerful because you get plugged into the ultimate power source — the God of the universe.
How is your prayer life? Is it fulfilling or disappointing? Remember to check your motives, for your heart is the key.
Bryant Wright
Devotional excerpt from rightfromtheheart.org
We’ve baptized new believers and celebrated new members almost every week for 6–7 months at FBC Prattville, and it never gets old. Jesus will build His church. “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:7).
Peyton Hill
@sPeytonHill on X
I often hear from folks asking what it’d take to make their church or org abuse-proof. They’re looking for strategies and behaviors, and that makes sense.
But it all begins with the cultivation of safety — not just interpersonally, but within. So, I’ll often say, “Start with your nervous system.”
Chuck Degroat
@chuckdegroat on X
All the answers to life’s questions can be found in God’s Word. Read it. Study it. Search it. God will speak to you when you do.
Jack Anderson, DOM
Alabama Crenshaw Association
“This is a gospel issue to me. It affects people’s lives in a negative way, and it must be a matter of prayer,” said Greg Davis, president and CEO of Alabama Citizens Action Program, on the gambling issue.
Share with others: