Next

My husband and I have a nightly routine. Whoever finishes in the bathroom first calls out jokingly, “Next!”, it's our little ritual before bed.The other night, without thinking, I said, “It’s ready, you can come now.”He stood in the hallway, hands on his hips like a sheriff from an old movie, and said, “That’s the wrong word. You’re supposed to say next.”We laughed because routines matter… even the silly ones.In the book of Numbers, there’s a blessing, a powerful prayer that says:“May the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”Turning your face toward someone is like saying, "You are next, it's your turn. It's not casual,it’s intentional.It means shifting your attention away from everything else and fixing your gaze on one person.If I’m in a room full of people and I turn my face toward just one, that person receives all my focus, but if my eyes not only turn toward them but meet their eyes, something deeper happens.A connection is formed.Recognition.Affection.Value.And with that connection comes confidence: I see you. I’m paying attention to you.Today, I choose to rejoice in the breathtaking truth that the Creator of the universe does that with us.He turns His face toward each one of us.He looks at us fully, heart to heart, eyes to eyes, and He offers peace.But here is the gentle invitation:It won’t mean much if He turns His face toward you… and you never turn your eyes toward Him.So today, know that you are NEXT, lift your eyes.Look at Him.Recognize Him.Connect with the One who is already looking at you,not just to see you,not just to acknowledge you,but to give you peace.Make it your routine, to turn toward Him and His peace, because that Holy, steadying, grounding peace, IS ENOUGH! BW