The Simple Joy of Seeing God

© A.J. SPURR 2021

Unless otherwise stated, all Scriptures are taken from the Message version of the bible.

Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.

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Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

A Chronic Lack of Awe

The Secret Password

The Avatar Effect

In Everything?

Lipstick on Your Teeth

Showing Up

Grateful Giving

Divine Forgiveness

The Antidote to Fear

Practice Makes Perfect

The God Who Sees Me

Supernatural Satisfaction

Bibliography

Acknowledgements

Thank you to my husband Phil, who walks this journey beside me.

My Tyson and my Jack - I’m eternally grateful for you both. You have taught me so much more about life and love than I could ever hope to teach you.

My dad, John for editing and advising me on this literary adventure, and my mother, Joan - my love for words was birthed on your lap, as your read to me every night.

Introduction

As a freelance writer, I’ve been blessed with incredible opportunities to write blogs and articles about a number of fascinating topics. One of my favourite projects has been researching and writing articles for Australia’s National Day of Thanks, across more than a decade. What I learnt about the power and spiritual significance of gratitude during that time has changed my life.

I’ve also interviewed countless ex-prisoners and people who have overcome drug and alcohol addiction, whose lives were transformed when they experienced personal encounters with Jesus. Time after time, they speak about how so many of us on the ‘outside’ are living in prisons we’ve created for ourselves. Prisons of unforgiveness, fear, anger and hate.

A few years ago, I felt God put on my heart the passion to write about what my research has uncovered, which has left such an indelible mark on my life. But like so many, I lived with crippling self-doubt.

I cried out to God and said, if you really want me to write this book, please show me.

A few days later I was at church on a Sunday morning and our pastor invited each of us to come forward for a word of encouragement. A group of church leaders lined the foot of the stage and I had my eye on a mature, older woman who I wanted to speak over me but there was quite a line of women waiting to speak to her. My husband nudged me and pointed to a young woman who I’d never seen before (and have never seen since!). "You need to speak to her," he said.

Reluctantly, I stepped forward and stood silently in front of this stranger. She put her hand on my arm and we were silent together, for what seemed like an eternity. ‘Well, this is awkward,’ I thought. ‘She doesn’t have a word for me.’

I was just about to save both of us from my embarrassment by thanking her for her silent prayer and walking back to my seat, when she finally spoke. You see beautiful things and you really notice them, she said. This is a reflection of God’s thumbprint on your heart. You will show people how to see these beautiful things in a unique way that no one’s ever done before.

Tears filled my eyes.

Does that mean anything to you? She asked.

Oh yes! I responded. God had just shown me so clearly what He wanted me to do.

This is a book about seeing God, who is beautiful, learning to see His invisible qualities (Romans 1:20) and being aware of His presence in every circumstance.

It’s also a book about a seeing God. A God who sees you in every circumstance. And how that changes everything.

A Chronic Lack of Awe

A few years ago, one of the biggest rock bands in the world committed an unprecedented act of generosity.

One September morning, 500 million music lovers around the world awoke to discover U2’s album, ‘Songs of Innocence’ automatically downloaded to their Apple iTunes music library. This was in the days prior to online music streaming, when CDs were on the way out and people were embracing this new way of consuming their favourite tunes. Songs and albums had to be purchased and then downloaded to your Apple iPod before you could listen to them.

So, receiving an entire album for free was a pretty big deal.

What was the response to this unexpected gift from one of the world’s biggest bands…?

Complete, utter, unmitigated fury! Millions took to social media, expressing their rage and even disgust at being subjected to U2’s music against their will.

The collective international furore forced iTunes to create a specific ‘U2 Removal Tool,’ allowing users to ‘hand back’ the unwanted gift with one click.

This moment quietly defined a generation and has become synonymous with the ‘Age of Entitlement,’ in which whatever we desire is a ‘right,’ rather than a privilege. Where we don’t have to pretend to be thankful for what we have, because we earnt it, right? And we’re cheered on for demanding what we want.

With most Western families now earning two incomes, saying ‘no’ to children’s demands has become a matter of choice, rather than necessity.

Many parents ‘cave in,’ rather than risk subjecting themselves to another tantrum, for the sake of sanity and serenity. But at what cost?

Growing up, my father was a pastor earning below minimum wage. We lived without most of the excesses many of my friends enjoyed at home. No microwave, or dishwasher, no brand label clothes and definitely no expensive toys for myself or my three brothers. My parents rarely needed to say ‘no’ to anything because we knew better than to ask.

But there was this one time when we all banded together with a common desire… a VCR (video player)!

We started a ‘savings jar.’ Every week, we deposited our pocket money into the jar, and mum and dad added to it as they could. Until one day, mum counted up our dollars and cents and yes, we’d done it! We finally had enough money to purchase the long awaited, much anticipated VCR!

I’ll never forget the afternoon we came home from school and kneeled in a circle around the unopened box. Dad offered up a prayer of thanks for this incredible blessing and we sat in a moment of silent awe.

Then, we walked excitedly to the video store around the corner together, and hired out the newly released ‘The Gods Must Be Crazy.’ It was glorious.

Whenever we went away on holidays, the VCR was unplugged and hidden under a bed for safe keeping. It was so precious to us, and we were so grateful for it, because we knew how much it cost.

Today, most western kids have an iPad each, a TV in just about every room and movies ‘on-demand.’ They don’t even have to sit through ad breaks, or wait until next week for the next episode of their favourite show. They’ll never know the agony and ecstasy of real anticipation.

One of the basics of parenting is teaching our children to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you,’ but rather than perfunctory manners, how do we teach them to experience the joy of gratitude?

If you’ve ever been to the birthday party of a small child, you’ll know the embarrassment of watching them open a gift they didn’t want. Especially if their parent has forgotten to remind them of the official birthday mantra: You get what you get and you don’t get upset.

I remember buying a birthday gift for a friend’s little girl and when I received the mandatory ‘thank you’ phone call, I noticed a distinct edge in her little voice.

Did you like your gift? I asked. She had wanted a ‘Shopkins’ set and I had selected one I thought she would really like.

You bought the wrong one, she responded, her anger tangible over the phone line.

Oh, I said, flabbergasted. Well, it’s the thought that counts.

"Think better next time," she retorted, and ended the call.

Still holding the phone to my ear, I chuckled to myself. I could picture God listening to me whinging whenever I felt he’d given me a dud gift. Then later realising that what He’d given me was just what I needed.

But what about when a child tears open the wrapping paper to reveal that thing they really want, hand delivered by a relative? Their face lights up with the glow of a dream fulfilled. Then we watch them run off in excitement to show their friends, with nary a backward glance. Are they really grateful if they love the gift, but don’t acknowledge the gift giver? I’ll talk about this more in chapter 2.

Perhaps gratitude can only be truly learnt by experiencing lack. Perhaps it’s only then that we can truly appreciate the value of what we have.

In our second year of marriage, my husband wanted to take me camping. I’m more of a ‘3-4 star hotel’ kinda girl, but I acquiesced. As we set up our campsite, I fought the urge to throw everything into the boot and hightail it back to civilisation. Walking 20 metres to the toilet block felt so undignified and even inhumane. There’s really no excuse for camp showers – nowhere to put your clean clothes to keep them dry and