Eyes To See

In the past month, I’ve been working from a room in our home that we normally don’t use.  I sit near a window and directly outside is a tree. During life as it was pre-quarantine I probably sat in that room three times in two years. Now I work out of it.

Life has slowed enough to take time to actually watch what is happening outside my window. One day it snowed and there was a beautiful white coating the branches. A few days later everything had melted and buds started to pop out. A week later little green sprigs of green sprouted. This week the leaves are forming. Some days have been cloudy. Some days have been filled with sunshine. Some days have been rainy. Some days have been windy. Each day is a new kind of chapter.

I thought to myself last week - if life was moving along at its usual pace and I wasn’t working from this room, I may have missed the unfolding of these unique and important events. Perhaps my eyes would have been drawn to my phone. Maybe I would have been late for work so I wouldn’t have noticed the tree outside of the garage springing forth with life. I could have been more concerned about my morning coffee spilling in the car instead of my favorite season of Spring blooming in front of my eyes. Life and the everyday details quite possibly would have distracted me from an important story. And I really do think that for me personally God wanted me to see this story with my eyes through the lens of a life that has slowed and has become more alert to the everyday than it’s been for a long time.

Sunsets in our home are the same sort of event. Every one is different. Every night we stop what we’re doing and put life on pause for a few minutes so we can run to the best window in the house to just watch the sun fade away. Some nights it is slow. Some nights it is fast. Some nights a pink hue fades into a majestic purple that hangs in the sky as the stars appear. Other nights a fiery red turns into an almost neon orange color and the sky looks like it’s on fire. Some of the light is leaving for a few hours and night comes upon us. I love that we take time to watch the sunsets and stop what we’re doing. And watch the present or fading light.

I like to look at people in the eye when I’m talking to them. I learned that in grad school. You will see things that they aren’t saying. Perhaps you will feel what they can’t touch. If you care to take the time and if you believe that they are worth seeing you will look - and most times God will show you a person’s soul. What an honor. What a moment! A human soul. But, I’m not so sure that we are the best at always capturing these precious places in time, because we don’t always have eyes to see. These moments pass us by too often. I pray for change in this area. I hope that seeing souls with heart, compassion, care, and honor would bring more love to our world. Souls tell stories that God is writing and we ought to listen for our own restoration and growth.

 Reflection:

Why do you think God gave us eyes?  What do you think the Bible means by eyes to see?  How is this connected to your soul?  How does this connect you to God?  What if you are in a tough spot in life right now or what if you’ve been struggling for some time – why might it be important to have the gift of sight?  How could this impact your pain, your journey, your process? 

-For one whole day really try to focus on what is around you.  See what God puts in front of you.  Write about it.  How did this impact you and where you are at in life? 

-Find a time this week to watch a sunset or sunrise even if it is from a window in your home.  Write about it. 

-Take time to look someone in the eyes this week. What story does their soul have to tell? How can you help them tell it?

Journeying Together,
C