Imago Gospels - 12 - Looking Up
One of the things that I am often reminded of with my children is that their literal perspective on the world is quite different from mine. Even with as much as they have grown, they are still generally looking up at the world and at people around them. One of the very interesting things for me is when I see some of the pictures they take with our point and shoot camera. I thought about including one of those pictures for today, but I instead chose one that I took about a year ago as I was sitting at the base of a tree. I was looking up and the picture just came out looking a bit weird and a bit bleak. You can't really see much of the full tree, the perspective is just "off", and I also washed out the colors as well. I am drawn to the Canaanite woman in this chapter today. I am drawn to the desperation with which she approaches Jesus - its not just a simple, "Hey, can you give me a hand here?", but she is kneeling before him, looking up at him, pleading with him, even dealing with what feels like an insult to her and her people. Regardless, in her desperation, she is undeterred. And her persistence is recognized as Jesus grants her desire for the healing of her daughter.
I wish that it were just that simple every day. I know there are times that I have pled things before the Lord and don't receive the answer that I want. I have witnessed the desperation of parents as they prayed for the healing of their child. And while I still wait for the answer I hope for, I am still willing to fall before the Lord and look up and say, "Lord, help me."
As I write this, I think of the many throughout the world who have this prayer every day - be it for health, for peace, for food, for safety, for restoration, for....