Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7
“It’s a mile walk, round trip, 250 stairs,” the tour guide explained. “They found it when three pigs fell in a sinkhole on the farm. When some boys went after the pigs, they discovered the cave.”
My weight and arthritic hip had kept me from tourist caves for decades, but I was determined to try this one. I lagged far behind the rest of the group but doggedly kept going, learning about stalactites and stalagmites, bacon formations, flow stone … and that half the steps were, of course, back up.
Twenty minutes after the rest of the tour group, I mounted the last step into the gift shop, winded but proud.
Later, resting in my RV, I told the dog, “A mile. I just walked a mile. That cave was a mile long, all hidden underground.”
It wasn’t one of those caves filled with crystals and impressive rock formations, but there was certainly more opportunity for exploration and development than appeared on the surface. Niagara Cave in Harmony, Minnesota, I conquered you.
I realize God sees me that way, with far more possibility hidden within me than most people notice. That made me smile, realizing He knows who I really am and sees me as perfect in His Son.
It took a while, but eventually it crossed my mind that I, too, could look at people as caves. Each person I meet—the low-IQ boy, this homeless women, those chattering teens, and boring old man—they too have undiscovered paths, possibilities beyond comprehension, and unplumbed depth.
Don’t settle for the outside of those you meet. Conquer those caves and see others as our Lord does, filled with potential we can discover.
Elsi Dodge from Boulder, CO is a single, retired teacher of children with special needs, travels in a 30-foot RV with the dubious assistance of her beagle and a small saber-toothed tiger, cleverly disguised as a tabby cat. In her spare time she tutors, advocates for families caught in the special education system, co-leads a Bible study, works with a church youth group, facilitates a writing critique group, and writes. Her blog is www.RVTourist.com/blog.
Read Elsi’s devotions.
