在密西根州有140億棵樹，其中大部分看起來就只是普通的樹。但密西根州每年都會舉辦一次「尋找大樹」的比賽，要找出那些最老、最大，足以被封為活地標的大樹。這個比賽讓平凡的樹可以提升到另一個層次：每座森林裡都可能會有獲獎的大樹，等著被人們關注。

上帝則和多數人不同，祂總是關注平凡人，在乎遭忽視的人事物。在北國以色列王耶羅波安統治期間，上帝差遣名叫阿摩司的普通人前往北國，呼籲百姓遠離惡事，尋求公義。阿摩司卻遭排擠，被禁止發聲。百姓輕蔑地說：「你這個先見，走吧！滾回猶大地去；⋯⋯在那裡你可以說預言」（阿摩司書7章12節，新譯本）。阿摩司說：「我原不是先知，也不是先知的門徒；我本是牧人，是修理桑樹的，但耶和華選召我，叫我不再跟隨羊群；祂對我說：『你去，向我民以色列說預言。』」（14-15節，同上）

在阿摩司還是個修剪桑樹的普通牧羊人時，上帝就已認識他、關注他。數百年後，耶穌也同樣注意到無花果樹底下的拿但業（約翰福音1章48節）和爬到桑樹上的撒該（路加福音19章4-5節），並呼召這兩個平凡人。不論我們覺得自己多不起眼，上帝都會看見和愛我們，使用你我完成祂的旨意。

There are fourteen billion trees in the state of Michigan, most of them quite ordinary by most standards. Yet the state hosts an annual “Big Tree Hunt,” a contest to identify those trees that are oldest and biggest, trees that can be honored as a living landmark. The contest elevates ordinary trees to another level: inside any forest could be an award-winner, just waiting to be noticed.

Unlike most people, God always notices the ordinary. He cares about the what and whom that others overlook. God sent a common man named Amos to Israel during the reign of King Jeroboam. Amos exhorted his people to turn from evil and seek justice but was ostracized and told to be quiet. “Get out, you seer!” they said with scorn. “Go back to the land of Judah . . . and do your prophesying there” (Amos 7:12). Amos responded, “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel’ ” (vv. 14-15).

God knew and noticed Amos when he was just a common shepherd, tending to flocks and trees. Hundreds of years later, Jesus noticed and called out the ordinary Nathanael (John 1:48) and Zacchaeus (Luke 19:4-5) near the fig and sycamore trees. No matter how obscure we feel, He sees us, loves us, and uses us for His purposes.