Senses

“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” ~Michelangelo

Do you see with only your eyes? Crazy question, huh? Have you ever heard a sound, tasted something or smelt a fragrance that flooded you with memories?  It is crazy how one tiny thing can trigger a memory to come back to the forefront of your thoughts, like it happened yesterday.

Every Christmas, whenever I eat chocolate (and it usually happens a lot) I am immediately take back to the delicious chocolate cakes a sweet family friend used to make for my family at Christmas. She made the most magnificent chocolate cake you would ever taste. I know that if she is able to make those in heaven, Jesus would definitely be backing me up on this right now. To this day, I can still taste the granules of sugar and imagine picking out the toothpicks that held the moist layers together. On the other hand, whenever I walk into a Walmart around the beginning of August, I suddenly get a flashback to the first day of school (which is not as enjoyable as chocolate cake.) That silly 4 foot tall pencil that is still hanging from their ceiling pointing towards their extensive amount of paper, crayons, pencils and Elmer’s glue taunts me to this day. That tiny little sick to my stomach feeling starts creeping in…still. I should be over that by now, right?

God has given most of us the ability to use our 5 senses. I have been able to work with individuals that have lost senses (like hearing, touch or taste) and even then they have demonstrated how they can learn to use their other senses to compensate. The other senses are even sometimes strengthened. Do you take time to really focus on your senses? Stop right now and listen. Close your eyes even…but not for too long. You back? What did you hear? Feel? Was it a car, the TV, feel the texture of your chair’s cushion? Maybe you smelled something you didn’t want to? I digress… Either way, you paid attention to something that you may usually take for granted.

I began painting last year. I took a class on a whim and discovered how much I really enjoy it. Since I have been painting more, I have begun to really look and feel what’s around me. However, I am fully aware that anything I paint is pale in comparison to His original craftsmanship. In Genesis 1:1 the Bible states, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” How many times have you read over or heard that verse? I know I have…a LOT! I would dare to say it was probably the first verse I ever memorized in Wee Worship- right up there with John 3:16! If I really stop and take this verse in, I am amazed at how simple those words are and what it really is saying. God made the heavens, the stars, moon, and other planets. God made the Earth- spinning in mid-air. The Earth spins around the sun at just the right speed to give us our four seasons over the year. It also spins on its own axis at just the right time to give us our day and night. How intricate God is…and we haven’t even gotten to the intricacies of the human body!

God cares about the small stuff, to say the least. Do you ever feel like you are forgotten? Maybe you are waiting to get a job and are struggling to make ends meet, are single and feel looked over, or maybe you’re waiting for God to bless you and your spouse with a child. Whatever your situation, God has not forgotten you. One of my favorite verses reminds me of His interest, “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:7). In this passage Jesus is explaining how not to fear people (or even circumstances) but trust and look towards the One who created all and has the power to save you. God knows what you need, even before you realize it. A comfort to me is knowing that He is working out the intricacies of what I need (notice: it’s not just what I want) right now. In time, at the right time, we will see what He was working out in real life.

Sometimes, what He wants to work out in our lives will be eternal. In Philippians 1:4-6 Paul writes “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” God is working, our job is to trust, obey, and live a life worthy of his work! Be cognizant of the intricacies of your life right now and your senses. What blessings, memories or beauty in yourself have you overlooked today while searching or focusing on what you don’t have? If we really stop and enjoy the creativity in our lives  (maybe even discover a new talent) or just stop and use our senses to revel in God’s design, we might then be able to really live and breathe in this moment.