When was the last time you truly stopped to behold?
I'm not talking about just pausing for a second to look at something or someone but a real gaze that held you captive to something wonderful that you knew in that moment you'd never forget.
Was it when you stared into the eyes of your newborn baby and studied their face for the first time?
Was it when you last held your spouse's face in your hands and shared an intimate kiss?
Was it when you sat with an aging parent and promised you'd savor every last second you're given with them?
Was it when you stood outside and made yourself stare at the starry heavens with nothing but your own thoughts to keep you company?
Was it when you stood stop some mountain vista and wondered if this is what it's like to be God looking out over the world He made?
Was it when you watched a butterfly or bee land on a flower?
Or heard a bird sing?
Or took in a sunset that took your breath away?
When was the last time something like this gripped you in a way that seemed to stop time?
I look over at a nearby table as I eat at this local restaurant and see what appear to be a son and his mother having lunch together and I notice that the entire time they've been seated, they have hardly spoken or looked each other in the eye. They've both been buried in their phones entirely. No interaction. No smiles. No nothing. And my heart sinks as I realize: we're losing time, not saving it. In our effort to stay current with the world and all its information, we're regressing in our ability to savor anything or anyone meaningful to us. We've nearly lost the ability to behold.
My mind begins to think of all the times the Bible tells us to take a seriously look at or "behold" something and I begin to see that this art of savoring isn't optional - it's necessary if you want to live a whole and purpose-filled life:
"Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy..." (Luke 2:10). Can you think of the last time you really stopped to fully appreciate and celebrate good news?
"Behold, God is my helper..." (Psalm 54:4) When did you last pause to contemplate that God is always for you and with you and in you, ready to help you in every way?
"Behold, I am the Lord... is there any thing too hard for me?" (Jeremiah 32:27) Have you recently given it much thought that nothing is truly impossible for God? Do you really believe that in your deepest soul?
"Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy" (Psalm 33:18). When did you last thank God and reflect upon the fact that He is always protecting and watching over you?
"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" (Psalm 133:1). Are you really at peace with the people around you, or does your circle contain constant strife? When did you last take stock of your community?
"...Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). Are you trusting in God's continuous renewal of your life and the world?
One glance at all these statements and it's as if they're screaming off the page, Look! Take a long viewing of this truth and don't rush by it. Pay attention! But do we really? Are we patient enough, willing to be still enough, glad to be silent enough that we can truly be present to the big, beautiful life that God has intended for us? Or are we rushing by it all... and perhaps we'll one day find ourselves in a season where we'll wish we'd taken in the journey a bit more.
So much of doing life at God's side is learning to be aware... to observe... to notice fully. Because this crazy world will constantly be pulling you to live at a pace and in a way that leaves God behind. And if you're going to really behold, you have to sit with the moment and make yourself take in all the things within it - the good and the bad, the happy and the sad. Sit with it all. Learn from it all. Hold all of this in your two hands and your one heart and let it all sink into one powerful memory that you carry with you forever.
It's these types of memories that you never regret. Yes, you may need to pass up something else in order to create a moment where something like this can happen but, in the end, what you maybe missed out on will be far surpassed by what you gained: time with God, greater self-awareness, experiences with the ones you love, a creation-miracle in the natural world, a calming in the soul.
Think of the last time you truly stopped to behold... and ask yourself if you want to feel that again.
I pray your answer is yes.
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