For When We Take Time to See the Extraordinary

Photo by Tim Samlaska.**

What do you see in this beautiful photo?

Perhaps you see vivid colors. Stunning, delicate beauty. The clarity of each petal.

I see little blue men with yellow noses and black furry mustaches.

Can you see them? Aren't they darling?

When was the last time you stopped long enough to gaze at a garden? Or notice a single flower?

Sometimes the chaotic pace of life blurs colors together until we can't see the details.

On Saturday, I spent precious, unhurried time counting the freckles on my youngest nephew's face. He held still, cross-eyed and fascinated. Then we gave them names. And giggled. And I told him his eyes would stick like that.

I can't remember the last time I stopped long enough to really see his sweet face. Most days I look right over his head. He's short. Not in my line of sight.

How much of God's beauty have I missed following that path?

There's so much we don't see simply because we set our sights on certain things. We miss the helpless. The homeless. The lame. The blind.

But not Jesus. He saw them all.

We never see Him rushing past a teachable moment to argue with the Pharisees. We see Him walking. Taking His time. Actually seeing people. Healing. Teaching. Loving.

People just like you and me.

In fact, Jesus often went out His way to see and impact people. Remember Zacchaeus?

"Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly." Luke 19:1-6

Jesus was headed to Jerusalem, but He didn't have to go through Jericho to get there. He made an intentional detour to see someone everyone hated. Tax collectors got rich overtaxing people. Chief tax collectors were the worst of all.

But Jesus didn't see someone shorter than Him. Or reviled by others. Or disposable.

He saw someone who needed to hear the hope of salvation.

As we walk through today, I hope that we slow our pace. Notice something we haven't noticed before. See someone who may not appear in our normal line of sight or to-do list.

And stop to thank God for the privilege of seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary.

What does God want us to see? Perhaps, like a beautiful garden, He wants us to see the Creator in the beauty He created. Maybe, for those people we normally look over, He wants us to stop and serve as hope dispensers. Encouragers. Helpers.

Today, I pray that you see little blue men with yellow noses and black furry mustaches -- figuratively speaking.

Does the idea of intentionally walking slower cause anxiety when you look at your to-do list? What on that list could wait until tomorrow so that you can notice little blue men today?
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**Tim Samlaska is a friend and photographer who lives in Tacoma, Washington.
It's my privilege to start featuring some of his beautiful photography on my blog with his permission.**

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