A Familiar Face
I had the privilege of having lunch with a dear friend and mentor the other day. She's recently retired from her career as a National Sales Director with a prestigious cosmetic company...you may have heard of it: Mary Kay Cosmetics. To some of you, that may not mean much...but to any of you who have ever attended a corporate Mary Kay function, you know what a big 'o deal it is.
My friend has been on lavish trips around the word; she's been slathered in diamonds and furs; she's driven free, pink Cadillacs for more than 30 years...and she, of course looks amazing. She calls me her 'young' friend, but she somehow looks closer and closer to my age every time I see her.
In the world of Mary Kay, it's all about the SUIT. A National Sales Director has 'the suit'. At an event, you can be brand new and know virtually nothing about anything - but when a NSD walks in, you know it. So naturally, I count myself privileged that I get to bend her ear over lunch and share her delicious ice cream dessert.
Same goes for my favorite NFL team...the boys in Blue! Sure, there are a few of them you would recognize standing in line at the local grocery store, but there are far more of them that sans the blue, numbered jersey, shoulder pads and helmet, you wouldn't recognize at all. You might catch yourself doing a 'double-take' because of the sheer magnitude of most players, but some of them look like 'Average Joe' out of their uniform.
And a strange phenomena occurs post-interaction, when you've just crossed paths with someone 'famous' in your own mind that you didn't recognize. Say you're the cashier at the store, when a rather substantial gentlemen steps up to your counter. He is polite, pays for his purchase and goes about his business. Then the next man steps up to the counter, "Do you know who that was?" You stare blankly at him.
"Who?"
"That was Jerrell Freeman!" (locals will know why this name is the one that came to mind!)
Being a Colts fan, you know the name immediately. But you failed to recognize the player out of context...out of uniform. All you can think of is how jealous your husband would be had you gotten an autograph.
Where am I going with this?? Well, there is One who is coming that as of now, not everyone recognizes. They haven't been exposed to Him and quite often when He walks right up to them at the super market, they don't have a clue. They are oblivious and go about their self-absorbed lives with blinders on.
But unlike my precious friend, who now slips incognito among the unknowing, or an almost-famous athlete who plays a supporting role on his team and may never be so highly recognizable to the
general public as a number one quarter back, the One who is coming will be known by everyone, all around the world, in an instant on the day of His return.
I can almost guarantee that He will look nothing like the many artist renditions that we've seen and come to recognize throughout our lives, but everyone will know it's Him. When the sky splits open and Jesus Christ steps out in glory, I seriously doubt that anyone will be heard saying, "Do you know who that is?"
"No...really? I thought Jesus had a blue sash!"
Au contraire my friend. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. There will be no doubts.
The beauty of the whole thing is that we already recognize Him. We are IN the KNOW. We get to enjoy the benefits of knowing Him now and we have the privilege and responsibility of introducing Him to our friends and family.
We can bend His ear any time we want. And while He may not share an ice cream dessert with us...what He does share is far better than just sugary calories. He shares His inheritance! He shares His love. He shares my pain and suffering. And He wants to share it all with every single one of us. His desire is to be known before the 'big reveal' so that no one is left wishing they'd gotten an autograph.
Be blessed!
My friend has been on lavish trips around the word; she's been slathered in diamonds and furs; she's driven free, pink Cadillacs for more than 30 years...and she, of course looks amazing. She calls me her 'young' friend, but she somehow looks closer and closer to my age every time I see her.
In the world of Mary Kay, it's all about the SUIT. A National Sales Director has 'the suit'. At an event, you can be brand new and know virtually nothing about anything - but when a NSD walks in, you know it. So naturally, I count myself privileged that I get to bend her ear over lunch and share her delicious ice cream dessert.
Same goes for my favorite NFL team...the boys in Blue! Sure, there are a few of them you would recognize standing in line at the local grocery store, but there are far more of them that sans the blue, numbered jersey, shoulder pads and helmet, you wouldn't recognize at all. You might catch yourself doing a 'double-take' because of the sheer magnitude of most players, but some of them look like 'Average Joe' out of their uniform.
And a strange phenomena occurs post-interaction, when you've just crossed paths with someone 'famous' in your own mind that you didn't recognize. Say you're the cashier at the store, when a rather substantial gentlemen steps up to your counter. He is polite, pays for his purchase and goes about his business. Then the next man steps up to the counter, "Do you know who that was?" You stare blankly at him.
"Who?"
"That was Jerrell Freeman!" (locals will know why this name is the one that came to mind!)
Being a Colts fan, you know the name immediately. But you failed to recognize the player out of context...out of uniform. All you can think of is how jealous your husband would be had you gotten an autograph.
Where am I going with this?? Well, there is One who is coming that as of now, not everyone recognizes. They haven't been exposed to Him and quite often when He walks right up to them at the super market, they don't have a clue. They are oblivious and go about their self-absorbed lives with blinders on.
But unlike my precious friend, who now slips incognito among the unknowing, or an almost-famous athlete who plays a supporting role on his team and may never be so highly recognizable to the
I can almost guarantee that He will look nothing like the many artist renditions that we've seen and come to recognize throughout our lives, but everyone will know it's Him. When the sky splits open and Jesus Christ steps out in glory, I seriously doubt that anyone will be heard saying, "Do you know who that is?"
"No...really? I thought Jesus had a blue sash!"
Au contraire my friend. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. There will be no doubts.
The beauty of the whole thing is that we already recognize Him. We are IN the KNOW. We get to enjoy the benefits of knowing Him now and we have the privilege and responsibility of introducing Him to our friends and family.
We can bend His ear any time we want. And while He may not share an ice cream dessert with us...what He does share is far better than just sugary calories. He shares His inheritance! He shares His love. He shares my pain and suffering. And He wants to share it all with every single one of us. His desire is to be known before the 'big reveal' so that no one is left wishing they'd gotten an autograph.
Be blessed!
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