Daily Reflections on (not so) Hidden Glory
Good title, huh? Well, at least I thought it was. That’s why it’s been sitting on my “to write” list for well over a year. It stemmed from a period of time that I was journaling frequently. As I put my pen to paper each day, I realized that my vision changed. It was almost as if I was seeing things through God’s eyes—at least a glimpse of what he would see. Everyday things became obviously linked to God’s attributes or how He is working in the world.
My Small Group is studying the book of John right now. Each week, we read the Scripture together, and then watch the portion of a movie that portrays that section of Scripture. The first time we watched it, I couldn’t get it out of my mind that the actor who played Jesus also plays Desmond on “Lost.” Some weeks, it seems like an exercise in redundancy. But last week, it was almost as if I was hearing the words of that passage for the first time.
As we watched, Jesus walked onto a rooftop while he was talking with Nicodemus. The wind swept through his clothes and he said “The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Despite what he said, I was struck by how it was said. Jesus felt the wind and integrated it into what he was trying to teach. Suddenly, I saw Jesus teaching me through what I was experiencing during my week:
- My husband and I ran into a friend from high school who no longer follows Jesus because “what works for you, works for you.” I walked away treasuring the gift of faith, and encouraged to rebuild my relationship with her;
- A woman asked me if I had seen her lost cat—she had gotten a tip that it had been seen nearby and was canvassing the neighborhood for it. I got a description of the cat from her so I could be on the lookout, and was reminded of the parable of the lost coin;
- My neighbor rushed to me for help after his wife fell on the asphalt and couldn’t get up—he had knocked on two other doors to no answer when he saw my son and I leaving our house. I was thankful that I was available.
The only reason we were able to engage in any of these moments was because we stepped out of our house to go for a walk. And now, I’m walking with my ears open to hear what God has to teach, and my eyes open the people he is asking me to reach in my everyday moments.
Maybe for you, walking isn’t the tool that God is going to use to reach your neighborhood. Maybe it’s your daughter’s dance class or your lunch breaks at work. It could be the long lines at Gelson’s or your HOA meetings. Try to identify where in your life you most interact with others who don’t follow Jesus. Whatever the medium, be intentional about developing those relationships, and making space in your calendar for the opportunities that God puts before you. Then ask for a glimpse of God’s vision in your piece of Los Angeles.
Jen Hurst
Associate Director of Small Groups
jen.hurst@belairpres.org
