When Only God Sees

from Google Images

A few years ago I read a book by Nicole Johnson called Invisible Woman:  When Only God Sees.  In it she talked about the building of some of the great cathedrals of the world.  She shared a story of a monk working on one of the beams that would go in a cathedral. On a part of the beam, the monk was carving a beautiful bird.  The person who was watching realized that after the beam was placed in its position, this beautiful work would be completely hidden from view.  He asked the monk why he was doing it, when nobody would see it.  The response? God sees.

I really like people to notice the good things I do. If I made dinner I want to hear that it was good.  If I served someone in some way, I like it to be acknowledged, or to at least know it was appreciated. Quite frankly, sometimes I worry that I do good things not to be good, but to be noticed, or to be liked.  I really want to be like this monk.  I want to do good things, and be content that only God sees.  I want to do good things not to please other people, but to please God, who gave me life, and a purpose, and a Savior.  At the end of a busy day of doing good things, even if nobody else noticed, I want to be confident that God did, and that He is smiling at me for my efforts no matter how small they were.

Today, like the monk, I can do some beautiful hidden work.  Mine will not be a carving, but it can be a work of love or kindness, and I will know that God sees.