How Big is Your Jesus?

We'd just arrived at our hotel and were at the desk checking in when something on the counter caught my eye. A tiny figurine sat in between 2 welcome to our hotel signs. As the front desk employee went through the check in routine, I couldn't keep my eyes off the little rubber figure. When she'd finished with the formalities of registering us, I picked up the little guy and held it up for her to see. "Who put this here?" I asked. She replied, "I have no idea. I imagine a guest left it or someone found it and put it there." Smiling, I asked if she knew who it was. She didn't answer. That's when I said, "Can I have Him?" She looked at me like I was crazy and said, "Sure." So I took the tiny Jesus figure and gently placed Him in my purse.

When I got to the room, I took out the rubber Jesus and washed Him in the sink. I wanted to make sure no nasty germs were stuck to Him. Then, I dried Him and looked Him over. This little guy was apparently some kind of toy but I didn't care. Though he was smaller than an inch, He represented a lot to me!

The Bible says no one has ever seen God that means no one really knows what He looks like. Oh we can imagine - He was probably a little darker skinned than we are with dark brown hair and eyes. More than likely had had a beard or some facial hair and since He was a Jew, He may have had the longer side burns called payot. We also know He wasn't handsome or notable, because the Bible tells us “For He grew up before Him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him. (Isaiah 53:2) To me, that says Jesus was the average looking Joe. And isn't it remarkable that God would send His Son to Earth looking just like one of us instead of with all sorts of glory surrounding Him? I think God did it that way to make Jesus more relatable.

The tiny figure of Jesus I'd picked up in the lobby was cute. Anyone who didn't know this was a mini representation of Christ, would probably guess because of all the paintings that depicted Him in this fashion. The garment was non de-script. The blue sash may have referred to His Jewishness, who knows, or it could have implied royalty.

The more I looked at the rubber figure, the more I kept hearing in my head - "How big is your Jesus?" I knew God was asking me not about stature but about ability. Though I know God is Omnipotent, sometimes I tend to limit Him by placing my expectations of His abilities in a box. I'll pray for something important to my heart and before I give Him a chance to answer, I've already assumed the outcome. That's not the way I should react but in my humanness, I often do.

Jesus isn't a tiny little guy I can pull out of my purse when I want and ask for something miraculous. He's not my personal Genie. He is Holy - a vital part of the Triune Godhead.

Little Jesus is going to stay in my purse. I want to keep Him there as a visual reminder that God is always with me. I also want to keep this little guy to remind me God is so much bigger than I could ever imagine.

I'm thankful someone left the little Jesus on the counter for me to find. I looked up on Amazon and found out I can get a whole box of 100 tiny Jesus figures for about $35. Maybe I'll order some in the future and put them in random places so others can have an epiphany, too.

It always amazes me how God uses some of the most random things to speak to my heart, but He knows me so well. He knows I'm a visual learner and thinker. Seeing little Jesus pricked my heart to think about more than just a rubber toy. It caused me to really hone in on the love that sent Jesus here in the first place. God already had a plan of redemption ready before Adam sinned. He knew, after giving the gift of free will, there would be a very regrettable choice that would need fixing. Jesus was and still is the answer.

My Jesus is much bigger than the little guy in my purse. I'm so thankful I know Him personally as my Lord and Savior! I hope you do, too.

Sometimes I just want to pull my hair out

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