AN AMAZING IMAGE OF GOD

Do you remember George Strait’s song, ‘I Saw God Today’?

Well, on a warm Sunday last month,
I saw an amazing image of God.

Mical and I settled comfortably into our chairs at our church in New Orleans, and the young director and his wife, Tim and Tasha Levert walked to the stage to give the morning talk. (We used to call it ‘the sermon’.J)

Tasha spoke first. “We have three beautiful daughters, Elle, Zoe and Ashton.” A picture flashed on the screen behind them of two adorable little blue-eyed, blondes, and Tasha said, “These two are our youngest. Ashton, the little one, was five at the time, and Zoe was seven. Tim coached their soccer team.

"Ashton loved soccer. She loved wearing her uniform. If I didn’t watch her, she would drag it out of the laundry and wear it three days in a row. She loved her cleats and loved her bows. She even wanted to wear her cleats with her little dresses. She loved the warm-ups and the practices. She would skip on to the field bubbling with excitement.”

Until the whistle blew, and the game began.

Two new picture flashed on the screen, and Tasha continued. “Ashton’s beaming face would streak

with panic, and she would race as fast as her little legs could carry her to her daddy. After a few times, he learned to expect her reaction, and would simply kneel and open his arms as she hurled herself into them.

“For the rest of the game, he would continue to coach the other girls with Ashton glued to his chest.

He cradled her next to his heart for as long as it took to make her feel safe and protected.”

Some of us have this picture of God as the coach yelling from the sidelines, “SUCK IT UP! WHAT’S YOUR PROBLEM? YOU’RE PLAYING LIKE A GIRL!

Not Tim and not our heavenly Father.

As I stared at the picture of Ashton clinging to her daddy, honestly, I don’t remember anything else that Tasha or Tim said. I think it was something about facing your fears. But, the volume on the screen was just too loud.

Why did Ashton react that way? Who knows? She was just his little girl who needed him. His job was to protect her tender heart, and he did. He knew she would eventually grow out of her fears.

Jesus said, “In this world, you’re going to have trouble.”

 

All of us need extra attention at one time or another, given the vagaries of life. We have a compassionate Father whose arms we can race into, and he will hold us until we are strong enough to stand again.

On the drive home, Mical asked, “What did you get from the talk?”

Tears streamed down my face. I said, “I’m the child clinging to the Father’s shoulder.”

He stared ahead as he drove and quietly said, “Me, too.”

We are all plagued with fears and insecurities, real or imagined.

 

At least, everyone I know. Little Ashton was never in any actual danger, but she obviously thought she was. I’ve started a new career at sixty. Mical recently restarted an old career. It’s scary.

Ashton knew what to do. She raced to Daddy.

When the noise and chaos of life assaults us, let’s take her example and run to the Father.