Monday, January 8

Lookit!

Narrative Lectionary Daily Devotions written by Kace Leetch from Clergy Stuff.

I was trying to jump over the couch onto the bed but it didn't go the way I wanted it to.

Lookit, mom! Lookit! How many millions of times I have heard this in my household! The one climbs up the doorjamb -- lookit! Another ollies on his skateboard -- lookit! Still another draws critters on her bedroom wall -- lookit! It's hard to know sometimes whether to be joyfully in awe of their remarkable achievements or be exasperated that my kids' "lookits" aren't -- well -- normal. Like this couch-jump-fail, for example...

My boy's best tricks are at 7:15 (7 minutes, 15 seconds into the video -- skip ahead to see it).

Or this, kendama pro team edit ...

Ok, so that second one I'm pretty proud of. (Mom brag moment... Luke took his kendama to Japan last summer to compete in the Kendama World Cup. He took 76th in the world!)

There's something about lookit-ing that makes someone even more endearing. It's  tempting as a busy parent to say, "yeah, yeah, I see," but not really look. I've learned over the years that actually stopping to see -- really see -- what excites my kiddos is truly amazing. I see things I never would have because I'm looking through their eyes.

I'll bet Jesus knew when he invited people to "come and see" (or this psalmist inviting readers to "come and see") that people would see things they never would have if they hadn't taken the risk to look -- and truly see -- what Jesus saw. 

Take a moment today to see something you never have before. Look intently at the pictures on your co-workers' desks and wonder about the relationships they find important enough to display. See people who are walking down the street and wonder what they are experiencing as they feel the cold on their faces. Look at the food you eat today and wonder about how many people it took to get your food from seed to table. See the world today, and let us know what you see!

Narrative Lectionary Text: Psalm 66:1-5

To the leader. A Song. A Psalm.
Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; 
   sing the glory of his name;
   give to him glorious praise. 
Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds!
   Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you. 
All the earth worships you;
   they sing praises to you,
   sing praises to your name.’
          Selah 

Come and see what God has done:
   he is awesome in his deeds among mortals.