To "Touch the Face of God," is poetic language.

It comes from a poem written by John Magee, a Royal Canadian Air Force pilot who died in an accidental collision with another aircraft in WW II. President Reagan used the phrase to eulogize the seven astronauts lost in the space shuttle, "Challenger" explosion.

While this was a sad moment in American history, one does not have to suffer the pain of death to encounter our heavenly Father.

In pursuit of this encounter, we are concerned with productive and satisfying living, but not for itself. We are concerned with living a life that has meaning and purpose, but not in a way that is merely self-serving. We wish our lives to count for something. We wish the world to be a better place for our having lived here.

So, the "first brick" to be laid in the building of this adventure in effective and satisfying living is, in reality, its cornerstone.

We need to "touch the face of God."

We need to connect, we need to engage his Presence. To "touch the face of God" speaks forcibly to constantly being aware of his presence, sensitive to his still small voice, struck with the awe of his majesty. We need to acknowledge the reality that joy, happiness, and satisfaction in life are all incomplete without engaging his presence.

Some may claim they experience these things, yet have no belief in or dependence on God. If that were true, then this presentation is a waste of time. Whatever a non-believer thinks he may possess is like a man drowning for lack of motivation to reach the surface. They simply do not understand the gratifucation of being a part of God's plan.

Reminds me of the story of a friend's daughter who thought a trip to McDonald's was the apogee of "awesome." After she sat for an hour in church, bored as a cucumber, they went to a gourmet smorgasborg in a 5-star luxury hotel. On walking into the restaurant and seeing all the mouth-watering goodies under glass, and the cooks in tall, white hats, she exclaimed, "Do they allow me in here???"