I remember when I was a baby Christian and wanted something to see that reminded me of Jesus.
Those around me weren't faith based and I felt really subconscious about any traditional symbol of Christianity. To be totally transparent I didn't even truly know what it meant to say I was a Christian. How do you enter the group? When you're on your own there's a lot you don't know and fumble your way through.
The knock had happened, I had answered but now what? I could feel my heart growing inside, like the Grinch who learns how to love, but I was still very insecure about, well, all of it.
Perhaps I should say be loud and proud, get the cross and Bibles and bumper stickers and go for it. But that didn't happen and I'm more into subtleties. My walk was personal and because I was figuring this out alone I didn't even know what exactly to holler from the rooftops, so I went incognito! I made my faith walk personal right out of the gate.
When you're a baby Christian, God shows off a lot to get your attention. Keep your awareness on because it's like a fun easter egg hunt of treasures! Every time a 'coincidence' happens and you know it's not really a coincidence but God showing up in your life, capture that moment because it's personal.
For me, one of these was a picture of a lion. Of course we know Lion and the Lamb but it's not quite as loud as the cross symbol. I wanted to honor Jesus and bring Him into my office, something I knew was code for Him but didn't make my non-Christian team feel uncomfortable, so I put up a picture of a lion, the one you see here which still hangs on my wall.
Many times when things got tough at work, it was really late and I was still there long after everyone else left for the day, the weight of my responsibilities would get to me. Instead of hanging my head down, I chose to look up. I looked at this lion staring back at me and I would think of Jesus. I'd cry. As I grew I would talk to Him instead of only crying, not out loud just in my heart and mind. Without fail what I deemed as 'our song' would come on the radio and I'd feel His warmth and peace comforting me.
From then on I never felt alone on those lonely late nights, He was with me and more times than I can count He lifted me up off that floor, dusted me off and wiped my tears and put me back on my feet.
My lion picture isn't an idol, it's a tool used to make me think of Him. People would see my lion and think it was about business success and strength and inside I'd smile because to me it represented so much more than those things. I don't need the lion anymore, but he's not going anywhere that's for sure! Now he's a memory of those sweet baby Christian days when I was getting to know His heart.