Watching the Rangers...

My son, Brazos, went to his first Ranger's game last night. I can hardly wait until he gets home to hear all about it. He was thrilled to say the least about going and anxious to see the field where he will one day pitch. In his mind... has fast forwarded his life a few years and is sure he will be a pitcher for the Rangers or an XTO welder. (That cracks me up even now as I type because those two are quite a contrast and I love that he has an old soul, loves baseball and what the oilfied offers his Dad.)

We tuned into the game at 7:00 just hoping we might get a glimpse of him and his buddies. They were sitting a few rows up behind Josh Hamilton in the action zone!!! About 2 minutes into the game, Blaise staring screaming and jumping up and down saying "I see him. That is him. I see him. EVERYBODY LOOK, Bosque LOOK!!!" It went on and on until Bosque, her other brother, put down his I-POD and said...really Blaise? She was convinced that in the thousands of matching fans there in the massive stadium she had already spotted her big brother in his blue jersey. Bosque was into the game, but not her antics. All of this provided me with some pretty good humor.

I thought immediately that she had the faith of a child and maybe in her little, sweet mind really did think she had caught a glimpse her brother. She was looking, knew he was there, and also very unaware of the unlikely odds stacked against her that she would actually see Brazos. Blaise had faith and was stepping out in it...and honestly quite ready to shout about it!

She seemed to be looking at the t.v. screen more with her heart than with her eyes. Oh, if we could just live our lives like that. If we could just KNOW the Lord enough to know that even when what we see does not look so good, He is involved. If we could just get a glimpse of Jesus and see the world through His Word and His promises. If we could just rest in the FACT that he has a vertical view and we can only see the dim horizon of what is right in front of us...we could really live in faith and not worry.

Here are a few verses and quotes I read OUT LOUD and pray OUT LOUD when I need to be reminded that I must live by faith and not by sight!

"Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen." Hebrews 11:1

"For we walk by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7

"Faith is trusting in advance what will only make sense in reverse." by Phillip Yancey

"Faith is seeing light with the eyes of your heart, when the eyes of your body see only darkness." Barbara Johnson

"Forgive us our lack of faith, lest ulcers become our badge of disbelief." Peter Marshall

"Oh, remember this: There is never a time when we may not hope in God. Whatever our necessities; however great our difficulties, and though to all appearance help is impossible, yet our business is to hope if God, and it will be found that it is not in vain." George Mueller

Maybe the mountain that is standing in your way just needs a dose of faith. I am learning more and more everyday too that even when the Lord does not answer me immediately or solve my problem, that is o.k. I am finding that as long as I am growing in my relationship and spending time with Him, I may have the faith to see the mountain in a whole different way anyway and realize that my struggles, my losses, and my seemingly BLAH days are for His GAIN because He is molding me into who I need to be! As long as at the end of the day I know the Lord more, I am o.k. with whatever happens. I challenge you TODAY to have the faith to see with your HEART and may your heart be FULL of the hope that can only come from knowing Jesus as your Savior.

Blaise was so sure of what she saw when she stared into that t.v. with her big, brown eyes. I want to be that sure too of what I see when I look at life because I am a child of God and I know that my life rests in the palm of His Hand.

When I really think about my life, I have had a few glimpses of the Lord and I know I have seen Him in His glory because of what He has done in my life. May I...may we all...be so bold like Blaise as to jump, shout, and convince everyone around us that they too CAN SEE!!!!!