We’ve all seen them before, in one form or another.
My Wife and Mother-In-Law, Rubin’s Vase, The Necker Cube, Nobuyuki Kayahara’s Spinning Dancer.
They’re famous examples of ambiguous images, where two distinct images are nestled together.
Sometimes there are multiple ways of seeing the exact same thing.
Church yesterday could be an example. What did you see?
- The same old thing we do week in and week out?
- Someone pushed way past their personal limit?
- An opportunity to volunteer?
- More butts than available chairs?
- Someone running on empty?
- Technical difficulties?
- A chance to hang out and mess around with friends?
- A new family come to visit?
- A family that returned for a second time?
- Someone desperate for healing?
- An opportunity to worship?
- Someone exhausted?
- A couple celebrating in relief and gratitude?
- A pretty good storyteller?
- Words with motions?
- Somebody scared of what’s coming next?
- Broken relationships hanging on to thin threads?
- Somebody dancing?
- A new way of looking at an old scripture?
- Someone simply trying to survive?
All those things, all those people, were present at church yesterday.
Maybe you were even one of them.
Maybe what you REALLY needed yesterday at church was somebody to simply notice you, to engage with you, to ask about what’s been going on with you.
Somebody to give a damn in the middle of your brokenness.
We’re all broken.
We could all use a shot of compassion.
But in this crazy, messed up, broken world, we can’t control what we get.
We can only control what we give.
Still, the Law of the Sower says we will reap what we sow. That we will harvest what we plant.
In those moments you just need a shot of compassion, pour compassion into somebody else.
In those moments you need someone to care about you, care for somebody else.
And give God the opportunity to bless you with what you give.
Whenever you read this, stop for a moment. Think of somebody you know and pray for them. Whether you know their need or not. Pray for healing, pray for courage, pray for strength, pray for emotional and financial blessings.
And ask God to provide somebody to pray for you today.
That’s worship.
–Steve.
P.S. I’m praying for you today.
This is so true! Thank you!