Making Space for Jesus & 4 Ways to Add Him to Your Life
My daughter has stuffed toys she brings to bed with her. Last night, the loyal companions were Cupcake, Jesus, Happy Pappy, Sammy, and Rocky, lined up exactly in that order. Tidying her sheets one morning, I preceded to gather the stuffies from under and around the tangle of bedding. As each plushie was located, they were propped up — one by one — against her pillows in their assigned arrangement. The last to be found was Jesus, and of course, there was a space for Him. And that’s when I thought — we all need to make space for Jesus.
“Behold, I go forward, but He is not there: And backward, but I cannot perceive Him: On the left had, where He doth work, but I cannot behold Him: He hideth Himself on the right hand, that I cannot see Him.” Job 23:8–10
Somehow, rearranging my daughter’s toys helped in realizing that during the chaotic struggles, when every possible thing in my life converged, I neglected to make room for the one Person who could heal and bring me the peace my being so needed.
As we exited the heavy double doors of the church, all Godly behaviors ended, with cars navigating restlessly through the crowd of parishioners, tired expressions and angry eyebrows in rear-view mirrors. My mother once beeped her horn at the prompting of a bumper sticker which stated “Honk if you Love Jesus.” After which, the driver yelled out his window, “It’s not green yet, you moron!”
. . . .
Now, as my husband and I raise our youngest child, Jesus and The Word have become central to our family, thanks, in part to the foundation that my parents had provided in my childhood. We have several Bibles scattered in various rooms of our home, each one with a lovingly cracked spine. Maturing in faith comes with the discovery that anything in life that we do not make space for, will not flourish. Just as in a garden, if seeds fall to the sidewalk, they will never take root.
“And some fell on stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away”. Matthew 13:3–9
- Talk to & Pray to Jesus
I do this throughout the day while doing errands, between projects, before bedtime etc. When I am aware and see God’s glory in a sunset, the pure happiness on my daughter’s face, a sheet of rain and lightning in the distance that causes me to shudder, the kindness of an attendant when I didn’t expect it, the summer wind brushing against my face, thanking God for allowing me to experience His beauty and greatness is something that helps me to be mindful. These aren’t especially profound or unusual things, but speaking gratitude and praying are practices that are easy to incorporate in daily life.
“Dear Lord, thank you for such a stunning sunset.”
Reminding ourselves that God tore the veil, allowing us a personal relationship with him makes our problems seem less burdensome, because God’s plan for us is so much greater than our circumstances.His blessings are far more abundant than anything we could possibly imagine for ourselves.
2. Deliberate on The Word & Write Down My Thoughts
Most mornings, I read one Bible chapter and write down my interpretation of what I just read. It is not a perfect practice, and sometimes I don’t get to the writing part, but this ritual has truly helped me understand and remember the Word in ways that I never did before. For example, analyzing the Book of Job showed me areas that foretold Jesus.
“For He is not a man, as I am, that I should answer Him, and we should come together in judgement.” Job 9:32
“Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth? Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man’s days, That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin? Thou knowest that I am not wicked: and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.” Job 10:4–6
“For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease, Through the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground: Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant. But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.” Job 14:7–11
“O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.” 14:13–14
3. Act Like Jesus
This is one that I do half-heartedly, sloppily, reluctantly, or often not at all. It’s so tough to sit in the moment and give grace to those who need it when thunder is in my heart and fire is in my words. Pride and ego get in the way too often because sometimes I am the only one who can see the rushing train and for some reason, the other person does not want to get out of the way. Jesus was a Rabbi to His followers, and as such, had patience even in the face of opposition. And He never forced an issue, even when those he spoke with refused to listen.
“If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored.” Matthew 23:12
Although this season for us is one with space for our Lord, it offers many challenges that leave us often breathless. When I become aware of my actions - or preferably before actions, I pray in the moment.
“Dear God, please give me the wisdom and patience to be kind and compassionate right now.”
And if I tell you that miracles have happened, I would not be exaggerating.
4. Treat Others As If They Are Jesus in Disguise
This one goes hand in hand with #3. If one behavior has shifted my experiences in a positive direction, it has to be this. But it is so incredibly hard to do. And I am really bad at remembering to do it. How do you react to the guy in the mirrored sunglasses who blatantly cut you off — that teeth-grinding near-accident ingrained in your memory. Or the nurse who repeatedly intercepts your calls and dismisses requests to speak with your father’s physician because “he’s just too busy, but you can talk to me.” I’m not saying that we pretend these moments never happened, but to those who knowingly or unknowingly act against us, imagining they are our Lord will make you pause if not alter your thoughts and actions.
I reference the Book of Job often, but there are so many lessons that are profound and impactful in those 42 chapters. The overarching lesson of this book is:
God WILL test us.
I never realized how many Christians are offended by the Book of Job for this very reason until I began speaking about it with friends and family. The largest issue comes from the TEST. “Why does God have to test us?” My answer is:
We test one another CONSTANTLY.
Every relationship, academic institution, club and group, job, sports team— judges our mental, physical, and emotional competence, reactions, loyalty, limitations. Yet when God puts us through the gauntlet, it is somehow unfair. What Job teaches us is that God will put us to the test, but he will also give us opportunities. At the end of Job’s story, his wealth had doubled, but it wasn’t because God magically gave him more land, sheep, camels, oxen and donkeys, but because God gave him an opportunity to multiply what he was given after his trial. So that is what I think about. After faith in adversity, comes opportunity. So, whenever we feel tested - in a moment or in a season - we must remain faithful that our circumstances yield opportunities. And seeing Jesus in those around us, is one step closer to our abundance.
If I cannot see Jesus, it’s because I filled my life with everything but Him. Everything is a process and there is always need for improvement, but the more we focus on our purpose in His Kingdom, the more we experience the joy, freedom, and love of our Lord.