Karen Smith in his sight
Ignored. Passed by, overlooked, forgotten. Ever feel like that? Like nobody actually sees you or cares? I confess, I have, and I am sure you have too. It’s so easy to feel that way sometimes when the world is moving quickly and everybody is busy. And sometimes it feels the same way with God—ignored, passed by, overlooked, forgotten. He seems to be showing up in others people’s lives, but not mine. I’ve been thinking a lot about the man in Acts 3 who could have been feeling the same way. He was a beggar. He had a pretty bleak existence, worse than most of us will ever face. Consider his life: He was a broken man, his legs twisted and totally useless. He sat near the same gate of the temple every single day. He couldn’t get around on his own but had to be carried there to beg for money every single day. It was how he survived—a few coins here and there from people who had pity on him. That spot of stone was where he spent every day of his life. And every part of his life depended on others—to get around, to help care for him, to provide for his livelihood. See what I mean by bleak? Remember, this story is literally days after Jesus had ascended into heaven and Pentecost had taken place. Why is that significant? Well, consider this--he was around when Jesus was in the city, teaching in the temple, doing miracles and healing broken people just like him. Is it too much of a stretch to think that Jesus may have even walked by him at some point? Or that he had heard about the prophet who was doing miracles? He must have heard and desperately wanted to be healed. So then why wasn’t he healed? Why didn’t Jesus stop? Why wasn’t he one of the “lucky ones” to experience a miracle? Sounds like the questions we ask about our own lives and circumstances, right?
But let’s look at this from the context of his story in Acts 3. He was right where he needed to be that day. He was supposed to be by that gate to ask Peter and John for money as they moved through the temple. He didn’t know who they were or that they were followers of the Messiah. He only knew his need at that moment was money to survive. He didn’t know that God had a different way to meet his need through healing. God intended him to be healed, not months or years earlier by Jesus, but to be healed through the interaction with these two apostles. He didn’t understand that God was concerned for his physical healing but also the greater spiritual healing of his soul. He couldn’t comprehend that he was actually part of God’s divine plan to perpetuate His church in those early days. Pretty amazing. The fact is that the beggar wasn’t ignored, overlooked, or forgotten. God had His eye on him since before time and had a perfect reason for his brokenness and a specific timing for his healing. This is so encouraging to those who are waiting. Whether I am doing mundane things or feeling forgotten, God has not forgotten me. He has me right where I am supposed to carry out the specific plan He has designed for me to be part of. My job is to continue to wait and trust Him, no matter what the landscape of my life. I can trust Him always--not just in the wonderful and miraculous seasons but in the ordinary, mundane and even discouraging times of my life. He is trustworthy. Always.
Amazing.
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