“Look at me with your WHOLE face!” is what my friend’s young son said to her one day as he was relating a story to her in the kitchen. It was dinner time and she had much on her mind. She was listening but not looking at him. Suddenly he stopped talking and said these words to her. “Mommy, look at me with your WHOLE face!” With passion and confidence, he wanted her “WHOLE” face to be turned towards him so he could be sure she was listening eye to eye with him.
I wondered then and from time to time wonder now…is God saying that to me?
“Look at me with your WHOLE face!”
When that thought comes across my mind, I stop and think and take time to evaluate the attention and time I am giving to God when He is trying to communicate something to me. I read His Word, I pray, I worship, I serve…but where is my attention and my WHOLE face turned? To the next things to do, to the next thing I will read, the next Sunday in church, the next act of service on my to-do list?
Or is it turned towards Him? My WHOLE face?
There is a song that the lyrics to the chorus are encouraging us to turn our eyes toward Jesus.
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace.”
When we look FULL in His face with our WHOLE face, everything, even the tough things of life fall into a better place. And when things are going well, we find that much more joy when we share from full and rapt attention towards Jesus who loves us FULL and WHOLE!
As we minister to one another this is a good example and wise practice. Be fully present with people and God’s love can shine through our WHOLE face towards each other.
