CSUS Content Manager
There’s something about watching the world through a child’s eyes. The ordinary becomes extraordinary. And we can learn to have an appreciation for things we often overlook.
On a recent day at the beach, our two toddlers picked up shells faster than I could find space for them in my pockets. Every “new” shell was perfect. I remember my two-year-old daughter handing me a sandy, cracked shell with the biggest smile. It was a shell I would have thrown back into the water. I asked her, “Why do you love this shell?” She said, “Just because.”
I started seeing every shell she handed me as valuable – even the tattered ones. Every shell was beautiful. Every shell was uniquely designed. And every shell was created for a purpose (after all, they are protective exoskeletons for mollusks).
I wondered if that’s how God feels about us. Every person was created in His image (Genesis 1:27). He uniquely designed every one of us (Isaiah 64:8). And He created us all for a purpose (Ephesians 2:10).
Our perception of others can become distorted by various factors from a challenging interaction to conflicting opinions or cultural differences. But, what if we saw people through the lens of God? What if we loved people (even when it’s difficult) “just because” Jesus did?
In Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Jesus provides us with the ultimate example of love. During His ministry, Jesus was intentional about loving everyone – those whom society deemed insignificant and outcasts, and those who rejected and betrayed Him. Ultimately, His death on the cross demonstrates the purest example of unconditional love.
The next time you see young groms at the beach picking up shells, may it be a reminder to look at the world through the lens of a child – to see the value and beauty in every person around you “just because” Jesus did too.
(Photo by: Priscilla Burr)
