Heaven Calling

"The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men; from His dwelling place He looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, He who fashions the hearts of them all, He who understands all their works" (Psalm 33: 13-15).

Yesterday as I was dialing John’s cell number from my office his number came up on my caller ID. He was dialing me up at the same time I was calling him. Coincidence? Not with us. It is a daily occurrence regardless of the time of day.

Once when John David was a kid he was sleeping over at a friend’s. I was awakened in the middle of the night but waited until 7:30 to call the friend’s house. He had been up to no good and told the friend I would be calling. His friend told him he was paranoid. JD told him he had been caught. He was. Mothers have skills in the “I know what you did” department.

Once I smelled my mother’s perfume. I was in Texas and she was in Ohio. I told a co-worker she would be calling…ring. I wasn’t in trouble. She was just thinking of me. I’m older so the list is long and I’m sure I am not alone here. People with a connection do this all the time. Casual acquaintances seldom do.

I found a lovely picture of a fig tree today and it made me think of the moment in scripture when Philip brought his friend Nathanael to Christ : "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you." (John 1:48) Nathanael was amazed and believed. He found his Messiah. He found the God of Hagar come in the flesh.

Hagar’s God was this same seeing God. El Roi, “The God who sees me.” Not just looking but seeing. A God who is cognizant of us, aware of us, knows us down to the last atom. But He isn’t just seeing. He is reaching. "For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His" (2 Chronicles)

We are not just drifting around down here. Christ’s strong current of love is pulling us in His direction, turning our thoughts toward Him. Christ saw Nathanael under the fig tree because Christ was under the fig tree with him all along. In the beginning, like Nathanael, we may not be aware of it. Like him we may be standing in the shade with this very Heart-Knowing God right next to us and be completely unaware of His Presence.

God will reveal Himself. He will ask us to step out of the shade and into the light. He will call us to love Him publicly and out loud as He loves us. To let our hearts become completely His as His eyes search for every opportunity to support us and demonstrate His reciprocal, all surpassing, all seeing love.

The next time you are otherwise occupied and you find your thoughts drifting in His direction maybe it is because He is on the other line dialing your number. If you smell His perfume and perceive His sacred scent then savor the moment. Heaven will be calling.

Let your heart answer.