I am surrounded. God knows that I am a visual learner. I need to see it in order for it to sink into my heart. In His quest to make me look more like Jesus, He filled my vision this week with people who do exactly that.
Elementary students standing on stools explaining how I can better follow Jesus. A woman in her eighties explaining how she can’t wait to see what God will teach her as she opens her Bible again. Teenagers invested in developing the character of Christ. Adults giving their time and talents to help kids catch a glimpse of the Savior. Friends willing to pray with me and for me. A young woman taking a deep breath and leaving it all in God’s hands. A college student describing the fire God is lighting in his soul. A young parent and an elderly heart both making a resolution to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
Simple kindnesses. Profound sacrifices. Courage in the face of fear. Surrendered hearts. Gentle hugs. Whispered prayers. Dirty hands. Calloused knees. Wide-eyed wonder. Examples of Jesus right in front of my eyes.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” – Hebrews 12:1
My Jesus Resolution today is to open my eyes and open my heart. God continually finds ways to point me to Jesus. It may be through circumstances, the words of a song, a verse that pricks my heart, or the example of another. I want to see Him. I want to notice the witnesses that testify to His goodness, proclaim His love, envelop me in grace, and offer me a fresh look at my Savior. But I don’t just want to see. I want to be someone who surrounds others with the presence of Jesus.
Casandra Martin 
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