Looking at the Jesus window

Today’s post is by Nancy Bergstrom. Nancy and her husband, Ken, are part of Church of the Redeemer’s prayer ministry. Nancy and Ken are proud parents and grandparents — not just to their own daughter and grandson, but also to families they have befriended over the years. She spoke this past weekend at Church of the Redeemer’s women’s retreat.  

The windows in the Sanctuary at Bethel Lutheran, our host church, are lovely.  I especially like the one recently used on the Women of the Redeemer card. This looks just like the Jesus I remember from Sunday school pictures years ago. His left hand holds a shepherd’s staff, and below His arm, pressed against His robe, stands a full-grown sheep. She has her face turned toward Jesus and is also focused on the small lamb He is holding in His right arm. The lamb is held close and the shepherd is listening and smiling down, giving the lamb His full attention.



I used to visit a similar window nearly every week when we lived near a very old small church.  Many times I went to gaze at this window in the early morning when sunlight illuminated the window.  I would gaze upon His majesty and ponder the sunshine and the beauty of the new day the Lord had made. My prayer, from Psalm 90:17:  And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish thou the work of our hands.

 Often I would engage my imagination and picture myself as the lamb in His arms. I  had tears and sighs and knew He held me close because I needed to hear His heartbeat, know His gaze and feel His very breath upon my pain and sadness. My prayer, from Rev. 21:4:  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. 

Often as I looked at the mother (she may be a grandmother) standing by and waiting patiently, there was a certain knowing that at that moment the lamb is in the best possible place —  in His arms. I focused on her nearness and her waiting. She knows that all is well and His full attention is upon every large and small need her lamb may have. His focus never wavers. He doesn’t need her help, but He knows she is nearby and praying. She waits and her attitude is TRUST. My prayer, from Isaiah 30:15: Lord, in quietness and trust I can rely on your strength. The next time I look at the Jesus window, I will have a trusting confidence in Him.