Please See Me

/ Pamela Spock (IntimateKingdom.com)

 

negativePlease look into my eyes and then tell me if I am evil, or if I am deceived, or if you must judge me as a sinner in need of the cold shoulder.  Look into and discern my heart — is it not the same as yours?  Did you once love me?  Did you at least like me?  Ask me those forbidden questions you don’t dare ask. Why instead do you rub words together in hidden places, blow winds of doubt, and keep adding tinder to a fire that will destroy me in the eyes of others, but benefit you?  It would be better for your cause of truth and justice if you simply embraced me warmly, looked me in the eye, and acknowledged the light in me as you once did, and then, my friend, if you still see a speck in my eye to carefully and patiently draw it out.  Instead you spread sparks of disgruntled disappointment and suspicion from house to house and person to person, turning the whole world against me.

Now my eyes, that you did not see, weep. Where are you my friend?  Why are you hiding from me?

I know this is a sad post, but I wrote it in quickly upon an unusual moment when I felt a deep “entering in” of the pain Jesus may have felt when his friend Judas stopped believing the best of Him, and gave him a hypocritical kiss of friendship.  

But there is another layer to what I wrote, as I had a friend at the time who was suffering something I too am familiar with.  It’s not easy, but for a disciple of Christ, there may be a time when someone who we have had sweet fellowship with will choose to believe the worst, and take matters in their own hands to publicly humiliate us, or surprisingly cut us off from their warmth.  To “take up the cross,” as Christ did, is to walk in humility at times like this, and to resist the temptation to nurse the wound with pity, gossip, or fire-for-fire.  Again, to “take up the cross” is, in the midst of our hurt, to exemplify a spirit of hope, always, that the one at enmity against us will repent and see us through new eyes of love.

“Father forgive him.  Forgive her.  They don’t know what they are doing – and will realize it later.”

The Father’s heart is one that is always running toward reconciliation.

Jesus came to reveal this heart to us.

Pamela

9 thoughts on “Please See Me”

  1. You are not alone, Pamela. I just got an eight page letter from a person dressing me down for everything I have written and for being who I am. Funny thing, this person claimed to know me and spoke of meeting my wife and I once over 20 years ago without giving me their name or where they live and no return address. This cowardly action does not promote life and healing in Christ’s body.

    “Who are you that judge another man’s servant? to his own master he stands or falls. Yea, he shall be held up: for God is able to make him stand.” (Rom 14:4, KJ2000)

    I am sorry for the pain you have gone through, Pamela, but God uses this even to mature us IN Christ. It is called the fellowship of His sufferings.

    Love in Him,
    Michael

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    • Dear Michael, Wow, that doesn’t sound like a letter that is coming from a good place. I remember years ago receiving a letter like that from a stranger, and personally I had to burn it, to get a release from the weight it caused in my spirit.

      In contrast, the “fellowship of suffering” you speak of is so precious, isn’t it? :-) It goes beyond just being treated badly (anyone can have that happen, of course) but to the bearing of it with His grace. It certainly works in us (if we submit to it) a beautiful result.

      Loving you back!

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  2. Yes. So sad and so true. I find the closet a person is to me the more the pain is felt. People often times twist or misinterpret words and actions. . . I tell my students to please look at my heart. . .and they do. Although sad, it was a moving and thought provoking. Love you.

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  3. Such separation does cause heartache, Pamela – but I understand it’s necessary sometimes – even by God’s design. Look at the communing in Acts 2 and 4 – the Lord had told them to “go out into all the world” – yet there they were in Jerusalem, communing … so the Lord allows the hurt of persecution to come upon them and finally they scatter. So through separation they were restored to God’s will in the first place.

    The other thought is, just because us humans are quick to divide and separate, does not mean we are divided and separated in the Spirit. Sure it’s hurtful, but at the same time, it’s (sadly) laughable. I can almost hear the Lord shaking His head at us, wondering if we’ll ever understand and live the truth … that we are made one in Him, despite goings on here … I’m also reminded of this, said of marriage and wonder whether we ought to do a little less separating and a whole lot more embracing?

    “Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Mark 10:9

    Followed to its logical conclusion, If we separate from everyone with whom we disagree, we’ll eventually find ourselves completely alone.

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    • Jack, I really like your application of, “Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Mark 10:9 to US in HIM.! Wow. Do we really feel that we are only joined to Christ, and not to each other? Sadly, this is not a universal revelation – yet. May it be so!

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      • Thank you, Darcey – that speaks to me. I had been reminded of “To everything there is a season …” and how in this life, sometimes it is no more than the seasons that separate us; we work the same field, but one who plants rarely meets the one who harvests, etc.

        The Lord also reminds me that the path/gate is narrow that leads to life – we don’t walk a narrow path arm in arm – it’s mostly traveled single-file. Nice to walk and talk with a brother or sister for a spell, but eventually the path narrows again and we part. It’s meant to be, I think.

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