Often I edit my blog entries eliminating the unnecessary words.  When teaching writing skills or attending a writer’s conference, I will say or hear said, “In writing, less is more.”

Last Thursday, as I looked into the eyes of one of our Special Gathering members, I could not imagine that I once saw him as a blank sheet of paper.  When his mother attended our first teachers’ retreat, I sat with her as she and her son ate their dinner at a local restaurant, where we had gathered for the meal.

Jim sat in the classic Indian pose with one leg crossed over the other.  His hands were in his lap, palms up and he was silently looking around the room.  He ignored the plate of fried chicken and green beans placed in front of him.

 I saw no expression on his face.  Yet, his mother said while coaxing him to eat another bite,  “He is having so much fun.  He can’t even finish his chicken and that’s his favorite food.”  Then she turned to me and said, “Look at him.  I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen him have this much fun.”

Over the years of studying him, I’ve learned the nuances of his smiles and the expressions that tell me Jim’s outlook and feelings.  Non-verbal, Jim signs a bit; but his words are limited. Adding to that, my signing is even more limited.  I must depend on his facial and body cues to help me decipher the many clues he radiates to the world.  Knowing Jim, you realize that he clearly speaks to those who are interested in hearing.  He expresses his attitudes, his delights and his irritations.

There are so many of the Special Gathering members who are much the same way.  Their personalities run deep but their ability to share that depth is locked away–unless you care to discover their secrets.

Isn’t God much the same with the world?  He has given all he can give; but so much about Him is locked in a safe deposit box.  To retrieve the valuable prize of knowing him, you must ask permission to open the treasure trove of his love and blessings. 

Once we ask, however, the delights of knowing him opens like a rose, pedal by pedal. You cannot discover all the secrets at once.  It’s the glorious adventure of his eternity. 

 What are some of the things you have learned from the Lord recently?  Do you have a Jim in your life?  What have you learned from him or her?