Glistening. The world skewed in my sight. Vaguely seeing through tears, but in truth, blind. My heart shattered. Pieces were everywhere. Then came the voice. The voice my heart knew, “Mary”. One word, my name. I was dead, now alive! My Jesus was not dead, but alive!
I was asked last week what my favorite part of the resurrection story was. I thought for a while and my heart landed on Mary. This was the same woman who had a past. She had seen miracles and had a focused relationship with her Savior. She was one whose life was so wrapped up in worship that she threw social norms to the wind, more than once.
My heart invested for one reason. He spoke her name and her eyes opened past the tears.
This was not really about her, but part of it was. God knew her, knew her before creation. He knew the demonically possessed child who needed freedom. This was one he touched and set free. She was known as less than, He knew her as a daughter. Knowing, He called her name.
God saw her, yes, but in His mercy He allowed her to get past the tears to see Him. He had been there, but the pain pre-occupied her vision. One word,” Mary”, set her free. Her vision cleared. He had been with her without her knowing it.
How like God to reveal himself by calling our names. How intimate. How beautiful. Our names. Our hearts respond when our names are spoken by those we love. Names make us look. Whatever trials we face, whatever pain that clouds our eyes, it does not change the fact that he is standing right there with us. He searches for us, embraces the wayward, and sacrifices himself for his kids. In all of this, the true treasure is that we finally get to see him. His character, love, and mercy finally revealed. We wipe away our tears to see that he has been standing there all along.
Halli Riskus