I heard her before I saw her.
“Mrs. Mandy!!”
My eyes lifted from Sunday morning song sheets to see little blonde ringlets and three year old arms bouncing, held straight out like she was flying. And she was flying. Right for me.
There was surprise in her smile and speed in her step–she’d never been that excited to see me before. And she wasn’t slowing down. Forget that I was behind schedule. Forget that two guest musicians were playing and they were waiting on my lead. It thrilled me to hop down and give her the biggest hug she’d get that morning, as if to say yes to what she was silently telling me: I was her favorite person in the whole world.
Just four days later I sat on my guest room floor with her, doing my best to get The Grinch to play while all the grown-ups in my living room talked about Sundays and logos and buildings and the future. She was quiet. She had my pencil in her hand and my sketchbook in front of her.
Out of all that quiet, she looked up at me and said “Are you Mrs. Mandy?” and I said “Yes ma’am. I am Mrs. Mandy.”
She dropped her eyes back to her paper.
Softly: “You look like Mrs. Mandy.”
I wondered why she knew me so well in that Sanctuary but not sure it was me when she sat in my own home, as she’d done for most Thursdays over the last five months. I was the same Mrs. Mandy she saw at church the Sunday before. I was me. But in a different place. And at a different time.
And in that moment a tiny prayer rose up from way deep down inside me and I hoped with the faith of a child that I would recognize Him the next time I saw Him, wherever He might show up in my life.
Tell me, how do you recognize Him, especially when He’s not where you think He should be?
Mandy.
Girl.
This post is amazing. I hope and pray I can recognize God as easily in the quiet of my home, car, etc. as I do in church…
I feel like the more I seek HIM out, the more I recognize when He seeks me out in the unconventional or unexpected places/times.
Well…. I read somewhere that when we seek we will find. I’m so glad to know that promise is coming true.
Miss you!
To answer your question, we pull from our memory banks of previous relationships with that person. I had contact with someone on a tourist small train in a wilderness area 100′s of miles from where I knew this person. Had no idea she was there – finally, we recognized each other – and laughed. our memories were able to pull out enough info to not miss this meeting of friends and walk on by.
I think sometimes we miss seeing Jesus and He smiles at us and we walk on by, not recognizing him. I remember once almost doing that when he was an old man who had blew a tire on a Sunday as I was driving to lunch, in a hurry. I drove out around him, I actually heard the tire blow, and kept going. I didn’t want to be late for lunch. Finally, I recognized the need, turned around and helped change the tire for a older couple who needed help. The stronger the relationship, the easier the recognition.
I remember the first time I met Dakota Hodge – he blind-sided me! I had dropped by his church to see Tam & Brent, his parents for the first time. Tam text’d him and the next thing I knew he had ran up an slammed into me with a big grin and a hug! I cried some. He knew who I was! Even having never met me, we had enough of a relationship he knew it was me and that I would welcome him with open arms – if only we knew that Jesus wants a relationship like that!
oh, papa! i miss you so. and love you very much! the kids love and miss you and mama too!
Hi Tam, miss you all so much. Mama and I are going through a “tense” moment right now. Since writing my comment above I now carry “nitro” pills in my pocket. Having cardiac testing in a couple of weeks to see whats going on. We are doing fine, its nice to know I am not “heartless”. Having minor chest pain off & on. Hug those kiddos for us!!
im sorry papa. i do not like that at all. you are definitely not heartless. one of the most heart-filled people i’ve ever known.
Oh Papa! I don’t like those words. Please take care of yourself. Keep those pills close and I hope today is a better day than yesterday.
I love this answer Papa, especially Kota attacking you.
Very special. And a very vivid illustration for what you’re teaching me. Thank you.
for goodness sakes, woman….could you write any better?!
as to your question…i don’t actually have an answer. i’ve not ever worried about not seeing Him. and i’ve been thinking about that that i just wrote. and i believe it’s because i had lived a long 19, mostly horrifying, years without Him, that when I saw Him for the very first time i instantly knew that in order for me to have gotten to the place where my eyes were clear enough to make Him out, that He must’ve been with me my whole life. cuz there is no way i should’ve been safe, or alive, at that moment.
NEVER take your eyes off him Tam! He will always be right there!!
Love you. Lots. I think somewhere between Nashville and now, I found my words.
i love you.