There are things that, as a male human, I
notice immediately. Typically, those things
either involve food, the apparent absence of a
favored article of clothing, or anything to do with
my “private space.” Beyond that, I am not
particularly good at noticing things that have
changed, if you know what I mean. For the most
part, I blame this on being a male human. In my
experience, most other male humans also do
not excel in recognizing when things have
changed from one situation to another (at least I
like to tell that to myself in order to feel better
about my shortcomings).
A few examples of things that sometimes go
unnoticed: new hairdos, new decor or
redecorated dwelling spaces, things that have
been cleaned, rearranged wall hangings, things
that have been added to or removed from
dwelling spaces, etc. I think you get the point.
And I think there are some reading this—likely
all male humans—who are nodding their heads
in agreement. This is not an excuse. It is more
of an admission—maybe even a confession.
There are simply some things that I walk right
by without even noticing. That is to my shame.
Our lives as followers of Jesus, as people
who know Christ, should never go unnoticed.
Without a doubt, we are to be a light in the
community in which we live. The world around
us should see from how we walk—how we
speak, act, and interact—that we are different.
The world often will not agree with this way of
life. If and when that agreement happens,
however, we will rejoice. But we are a people
who are called to live for Christ in order to bring
glory to our great God. Along the way, we will
illuminate the darkness and partner with the
Spirit of God in convicting the world. –Rick
