Sunday, August 1
When we cry, "Abba! Father!" it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
—Romans 8:16-17
Each morning last fall I passed the same man as I drove to the local YMCA for my workout. He stood there, day after day, waiting on the bus with his son. Other parents were also up and down the street waiting with their children. But there was something different about this man, this father. You see, he was never standing. He was always down on his knees by his son at eye level.
What an image of God’s incredible love! God is not some white-haired grandfatherly figurehead that lords over us as a stern, commanding father. No, the father we cry to in our prayers is the Abba, Father, Daddy that longs to look us in the eyes, get down on our level, and let us know how very deeply he cares for us.
God is the one that is willing to see us as we are on our level—to experience life in our eyes, looking deep within us in that intimate connection of souls on a common journey.
It’s this incredible trait of God that helps us make it through difficult times. If God were merely some divine being up in heaven, I’m not so sure that I would find any solace in my faith.
But as a Christian, the fact that God took on my very life in Christ lets me know first-hand that God experienced my life—God looked through the eyes of humanity and saw, experienced, and endured the same things that all of us do.
It’s this incredible kind of love that transforms my life into something spectacular, for I know that God has, is and will be kneeling beside me each day, waiting on whatever comes. God will be there, looking into my eyes, and will not abandon me, no matter what. That is incredibly Good News for all of us.
For staring deep within my eyes, experiencing my life each day, and loving me as your beautiful child, I give you thanks God. Amen.
These Signposts originally appeared on explorefaith in 2006.
