Feelings

A few days ago I crawled into Mattie’s bed just as she was in the fresh stretch of waking from a nap. I had but a moment to savor her soft calm. It was great. I love those brief moments in life that call back to the past and laugh as if to arrogantly taunt trouble.

In those times I look at my children and I see beauty. I see peace. I see Joy. The peace and joy that can only grow within innocence. Joy that invites the hand of God. And the two dance.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” We have to become as little children in order to inherit the Kingdom of God. One of the qualities he saw in children must be the joy that infiltrates their activity. The grace that takes perch upon their heads.

As I reflected on Mattie’s temperament I was reminded of Joan Osborne’s hit, “What if God Was One of Us” and was struck with the candid truth revealed through the then controversial pop lyrics of the nineties. Mattie’s golden blonde curls didn’t help the matter any.

What if God is one of us? What if he’s Mattie? Not to take deity lightly, but he did send his son to walk around as a homeless rabbi. He also introduced the whole “Holy Spirit” and “Indwelling” concepts which Christ intertwines himself with personally in John 17 as he prays for unity. I’m just saying. I know from our worldview this sounds Buddhist or New Age, but take a look back through the B.I.B.L.E and you might find hints of the same. Granted – The Almighty Power of God - as well as the distinct entities of Jesus and The Spirit are nothing to mess with, but to understand deeply the mystery of unity I believe this to be a good illustration at worst.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…Love your neighbor as yourself”.

In some way this represents Christ as he states, “If you have done it to the least of these, then you have done it to me”.

So, I guess in an inexplicable way, not in person but in theory and illustration, Mattie is God. Or at the least I should treat her that way.

I should love her beyond all else, I should respect and assist her in all things. She should be my main purpose.

What about Samuel? What about Kaisha? That’s my point…

We are to put other’s needs way ahead of our own, just as we would put God’s needs way ahead of our own. So in becoming less selfish and more enlightened to the needs of others; we do in deed model Christ. And as we interpret others lives as some representation of God then we in fact become servants to all men.

We become the body of Christ and must act toward others as he did.

Later that night, Mattie came running into the room, where I was reclining, with her brother on her heals. I was somewhat distracted and snapped at them both. I told them to leave me alone and go to the playroom. I know, not very Fatherly. But here’s the point. Later, as I tucked Mattie into bed she said, “You hurt my feelings, Daddy.”

It was as if God himself told me that I hurt his feelings.

I am sure I hurt God’s feelings everyday.

I pray to see him everyday in everybody I relate with, so that I can cull this habit of hurting his feelings as well as the feelings of others.

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

…You might very well be messing with the feelings of GOD.