The yellow school bus slowly disgorged its occupants in front of the venerable institution of learning, otherwise known as Mineral Springs Schools. I slowly shuffled towards the building with the enthusiasm of a condemned man heading for the gallows.
Lots of fun things were going on in the world that day, but hardly any of them were going to happen in that building where I was heading. My slow gait reflected the sleepy, uninspired state of my soul as that day’s destiny loomed in front me.
Later that morning in Miss Mary’s class, the sweet little teacher remarked to me, “I saw you coming towards the building this morning and laughed. The way you were walking I said to the other teachers in the lounge, ‘David is going to have to be a doctor or something like that, with that slow, patient walk.’”
A doctor??? Patient walk? Me?
If my football coach had looked out of the window and saw me like that, he would probably have yelled, “Hey Porter! Pick it up! You can do better than that. Faster. Faster!” If my math teacher had looked out the window and seen me she might have said, “Look at David dragging up here. He probably hasn’t done his math homework again.”
But Miss Mary looked out the window and instead of seeing a goof-off, she saw a future doctor … or something.
A fellow name Saul was striding down the road, heading for Damascus, followed by his band of very un-merry men. He was happy because he was going to be knocking some heads very shortly. But God “knocked” his head and he found himself whimpering and blind in the presence of the risen, Lord Jesus.
Later in Damascus, he waited to see what the Lord wanted to do with him. Suddenly God appeared in a vision to a man named Ananias and told this good disciple that Saul was praying. Ananias probably thought, “He needs to pray—a lot—that turkey.” (That’s not in the Bible. That’s from David).
All the same God showed his man what Saul was going to be,
“But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” ( Acts 9:15, 16 NIV)
God used the faithful man to pray for Saul/Paul and give him an indication of what he would do for the Lord. We’re all blessed because Ananias saw beyond the surface of a violent killer and discerned what God could do with and in him.
Hey, Sunday School teacher. Can you imagine what that little rascal in your class might be some day? A bank robber? Or president of the bank? A blight on society or a healing medicine for society? Who knows what power your encouragement and vision could have?
Mama, what do you see in that child? “You’re just like your daddy! You’ll never amount to anything.”
When you “prophesy” into a child like that, it’s hard for the little one to overcome your curses in his life. Dad, you too.
Watch your mouth because your words have a direct route to your child’s heart. Ask God for his vision for your child.
Hey pastor, what do you see when you preach to your people? “Bunch of lazy, stingy, loafers! They’ll never amount to much. I’m just here until I can get a good church.” Or, “Hey, folks this is what God has recreated us to be in his love, and slowly but surely, that’s what we’re becoming.”
Do we see the potential in those that God has put in our lives (if God intervenes in them)? What difference would it make in our actions towards them if we saw them as God sees they can be? How would we pray for them? What would our words to them be like? What kind of dreams and hopes would we carry for them (not imposing our vision for their lives but inspiring them to aspire to all that God created them to be)?
Some people see goof-offs when they look at others and some see doctors. Could you ask God to give you eyes so that you can see your children, your church, your unsaved neighbor, your friends, your spouse, just like He sees them?
What do you see?