My face turns red.
Shocker, I know. For those of you who know me, you are probably so used to it that it doesn't even phase you anymore. I claim I get it from my father who turns red in any situation-awkward or not. It was particularly embarrassing in those uncomfortable middle school years when absolutely everything made me blush and then being told your face was turning red would only make it redder. I have come to accept it, even tolerate those who sportingly like to see how long it takes my face to turn from a shade of pink to firetruck.
I was reading 2 Samuel about an early king David and came across the description of this young shepherd:
He was ruddy with a fine appearance and handsome features. -2 Samuel 16:12
ruddy:
adj
- having a healthy reddish color
- red, reddish
Did you catch that? David. King David. The guy who slew Goliath, the man after God's own heart, the main author of psalms. DAVID had a red face.
This made me SO happy. The point isn't to acknowledge how cool I am (given), the point is that God cares. God created this man, breathed these scriptures and cared enough to describe David as “ruddy” so that it would one day make me smile that this man who danced before the Lord with such vigor, probably did it with a beat red face.
The Lord knows you. He knows who you are and how you tick. He knows if you are mathematically minded or artistic, shy or bold, your passions, your dreams, and your gifts. He made you that way.
The World Race is a constant discovery of what our identity is. You truly have to loose yourself to find Christ, and in doing so, you find who you really are (Matthew 10:39). All this self discovery results in so much loss. We had to leave everything behind. We not only left belongings, but we left the very things that we identified ourselves with.
Some of us gave up skiing, some dance, some the time and resources to create, whether that is artwork, cooking, working on cars, or ____. Everyone knows everyone as who they are on the Race, but as a matter of fact, each of us have had 20-30 years of living out life pursuing different passions that just are not attainable these 11 months.
What does it really mean to be a new creation? When we die to our old “selves” we not only put our sins on the alter, but we put ALL of us-our whole self. We sacrifice our passions and desires to the Lord because He is worth following and He is worth our lives. Some things He returns to us saying “Now I know that you fear God” (Genesis 22:12) but regardless of whether we receive anything of our old selves back, we can TRUST Him. Giving Him our lives is an act of trust knowing that He will work ALL things for the good of those who love Him (8:28).
What I am trying to get out is, your Creator knows you and He cares. He cares about what you had to give up before your Race. He knows who you were, who you are, and who you will become. He cares about your rest, and He cares about your unrest. He is faithful and He does not leave you hanging. He delights in you and He knows you to the very last detail. Even something as small as having a unusually red complexion :).
