The Little Man

I see God everywhere, but can I see myself in His eyes?

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” (Albert Einstein) 

I am choosing to live my life like everything is a miracle. Every new day, every fresh breath is a miracle. I see miracles in the kind words of support from my husband, a word of comfort from a friend, a hug from my child, and a smile from my mother, whom I nearly lost last year.

In one of those challenging periods, I received a text message from a dear friend. She said, ‘God will always give you enough strength for one day of your life, and that is all you need. Do not give up; keep on walking and not running or jumping. Crawling is sometimes okay when you feel you are too weak to walk. But just keep on going.’

This thought helped me when I faced challenges. I knew that in those moments, Jesus was crawling with me. He was with me in my darkness and my pain. He did not wait for me to recover and come to Him after winning the battle. He fought alongside me, even carrying me when I was too weak to crawl.

Deuteronomy 32:10 says: “He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; He encircled him, He cared for him, He kept him as the apple of His eye” (ESV).

This encouraging verse is a part of The Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 31:30-32:43). This poem talks about God’s care for Jacob and God’s care for His people, and it is very relevant for us today.

Moses used four verbs in this verse, each teaching us about God’s caring character and His love for us, His children.

• God finds you – wherever you are, be sure that God will find you. Whatever your wilderness is, He will come to you no matter how lost you think you are. So, what is your wasteland? Is it fear of the unknown or overwhelming daily activities? God will discover you, the true you, the whole of you, your smiles and your hidden sorrows. Be ready because He is coming to find you.
• God encircles you – God encircles you to make you safe. Like a city in old times surrounded by a wall for protection. Like an army besieging defenceless people to protect them from their enemy. Like a mother eagle encircles her eaglets (v.11), God encircles you. He surrounds you with all your weaknesses to make you stronger. In His presence, you will undeniably change; you will grow.
• God cares for you – your Creator who completely understands you. He knows you better than you often realise yourself. He understands your struggles and your fears, your ambitions and your dreams. What are the battles that you are fighting right now? Is it fear for your family’s future caused by the increase in living costs, the illness of somebody close to you or your loneliness? He understands, and He cares deeply.
• God keeps you – He guards and watches over you like a precious treasure, like ‘the apple of His eye’. This English phrase is used to describe someone who is greatly loved. It communicates affection. However, the better translation from the Hebrew language would be ‘the little man of His eye’. What does this mean? It refers to the wonder of seeing your reflection in the eyes of another person looking at you.

God loves me and cares about my well-being so much that He wants to be always close to me. I can see myself in His eyes when I am so close to God. I can see my purpose in life, my destination, and my worth as His child. But, if I turn my back or move away from God, I will no longer be able to see my reflection in His eyes.

Sometimes, problems blur our vision. But no matter how hard or big they are, we must not allow them to come between God and us. We must stay close to God. Allowing these problems to create a distance between God and us will affect our perceptions. If God is too far from us, we will not be able to see clearly ‘the little man of His eye’, and our view of Him, our life, purpose, and ourselves will be blurred.

What do you see? 

‘Family is where our stories begin.’ I bought a photo frame with these words. Over the years, look at that caption and smile. ‘Family is where our stories begin!’ Let them be good stories that inspire us and others and give us strength and motivation. Let them be stories, experiences and memories that put smiles on our faces, stories of standing so close to God that we could see our reflection in His eyes.

Hard times help us to appreciate God’s blessings. But let our children remember hard times in our families as times when family members cried, prayed, encouraged, loved, and supported each other. Let them not forget that we are following God so closely that we never lose sight of ourselves in His eyes and that deliverance comes after the pain.

And remember, you do not always have to run or jump. It is okay to crawl. God will find you wherever you are and crawl with you. He will surround you with His love and protection until you become stronger. And do not forget, He is watching you closely, filled with love, waiting for your eyes to meet. So, keep on going until He delivers you.

Dusanka Rancic is the Editor of the BUC Messenger Magazine