The Face of Jesus

Ya’ know, we all have our days.  Those days when we wake up, looking forward to what is to come, and like a smack in the mouth, something happens which makes that “higher than a kite” feeling change to a nosedive into the ground.  That happened to me today.  Am I being punished, or it is just part of life to have those times when life takes a left turn when we were expecting to go right?

I Wonder

Lately, I’ve begun to wonder if Jesus is punishing me or perhaps disciplining me for sins of my past.  It’s hard not to wonder about this.  My belief in Jesus tells me He is not punishing me, because He died on the cross for my sins.  However, my mind second guesses my heart and I am back wondering.

Jesus loves me, I know that, even if no one else loves me.  When those bad days happen, I tap on my own shoulder and remind myself that He always has my back.  So, what brings on those bad days?  Fate?  Bad luck?  Or is it the reality that life is not all rainbows, bunnies and green meadows.  Perhaps Jesus allows these ‘less than happy days’ to make us stronger for the really tough ones yet to come.

My ‘Go-To’

And then there are times, when I believe that Jesus is testing me to see how I will handle unhappy times. Will I remember His words telling me to look to Him for comfort……to look to Him for answers….to look to Him for the happiness I feel like I’ve lost, even if only for a brief time?

I suppose we all have those “why me” times, when we feel like we are being singled out and everything bad that can happen is happening only to us.  That feeling of self-pity is exactly the time when we need to reach out to Jesus for help.  I find myself, at times, just feeling a need to drive to church, to just sit there quietly and listen, hoping to hear Him say “It’s Okay, Debbie.  I’ll help you get through this.”

That’s What Friends Are For  

However, when you are feeling low, and your thinking is clouded, what sign do you look for to know that Jesus has heard your prayer and is there to pick you up?  Sometimes Jesus sends a friend.  This happened to me recently.  That simple call from a friend was “The Face of Jesus” for me.  I woke up that day, feeling down from the previous day or two.  That call and the conversation that followed, was my sign that Jesus knew I needed a friend.  And He sent one.

But life has a way of sending both uplifting feelings as well as those feelings of despair or unhappiness.  I suppose it is up to all of us as to how we handle both.  Because I believe that Jesus sits on my shoulder, when I need Him for those feelings of unhappiness, I know I can count on His love to lift me up.

Reach Out and Touch Someone

We also need to be there for others.  We must look for the signs in others that they need to see “The Face of Jesus”.  It is up to us to watch and listen to others around us and to make a call or engage them when they are likely not expecting it.  I know how I felt when I got that call from my friend.  They didn’t have to call.  I am quite sure they had other options.  I know so.  But I am convinced my friend may have received a tap on the shoulder from Jesus and knew I needed someone to talk to.

It's the Little Things

Recently, I was made aware of someone who was going through a lot of physical suffering.  I prayed about what I could do.  I am no doctor.  I am no therapist.  I am no priest.  But I felt like I was being whispered to by Jesus to reach out to her.  I am convinced the person who told me about her, allowed me to be “The Face of Jesus” for her.  I knew I could not alleviate her physical suffering, but I hoped I could let her know she was loved.  A simple call for flowers to be sent made a difference.  The flowers reminded her how much Jesus and so many others love her.

“The Face of Jesus” is You

It was a couple of years ago when a priest introduced me to the words “The Face of Jesus”.  Since hearing these words, I find myself using them often to refer to someone who shines light on another person in need of love, comfort, or a friend.  It’s not hard to identify those people.  “The Face of Jesus” people are the ones who are standing next to someone who is smiling.

Be “The Face of Jesus” to someone today.  It’s what HE wants of you.  And it will make that ‘someone’, smile.