Having Eyes to See

Have you ever noticed how very little we see with the eyes God gave us? In fact, many days we think we see the exact same things and, in fact, miss so very much that we could- and should- be seeing. We see the sun streaming in the window and shut our eyes tighter wishing the darkness back for a few more minutes of sleep. We see ourselves in the mirror and immediately critique all the things we dislike. We see chaos and miss the beauty of life in action. We see the bills and miss the blessings. We see the gas tank near empty and miss the gift of having a vehicle to drive. We see kids getting dirty and see extra laundry and the extra effort of yet another bath, and we miss the wonder in their eyes as they discover the world around them. We see the toys scattered around the floor and miss the evidence of their active little imaginations at work.

What would happen if we woke up in the morning and saw the wonder of a day where God's mercies were new and having been given the gift of a day we weren't promised? What if we looked in the mirror and saw the smiles that made the lines, the blessing of a body that carried our children, the arms that hold our loved ones. What if we realized that we aren't really running out of money? We have so very much in comparison with most of the rest of the world. We could always adjust our way of living and be just fine if we were willing to make a few "sacrifices?" What if we saw the world through our babies' wonder-filled eyes?

The problem is focus. We tend to let life spin our heads around. We need to be focused. "Be sober. Be vigilant." Life takes on a whole new light when we hone our abilties to focus on the important and eternal. I've found we can endure and thrive in nearly any situation when we can focus on something more significant than what's being flashed before our eyes by our latest distraction.

My devotional yesterday was on the story of the stoning of Stephen. Stephen was in a horrible situation. He was hated for speaking the truth to those who didn't want to hear it. They had decided to kill him. We tend to separate ourselves from the realities of these stories as we read them, but imagine what it must have felt like to Stephen. Put yourself in his shoes for a minute. He had simply obeyed. He had not said a single thing that was untrue. Yet, he had no one to help him and he was at the mercy of an angry crowd. Or so you would think. But it says in Acts 7:55 "But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily upward into heaven and saw the glory of God..."

There is no sugar-coating what happened to Stephen. He was brutally and viciously murdered. He felt those blows just as we would have. He felt the pain of rejection, desperation, the physical and emotional wounds that would have been inflicted on anyone in that circumstance. Stephen was human just like you and I. But he had something playing in his favor. He "gazed steadily upward into heaven and saw the glory of God." Yes, he was still killed, but as he breathed his last he shouted "Lord, don't charge them with this sin!" His final, agonizing moment a testimony to his Savior. Oh, to have that kind of focus in our trials!

How different would your current circumstance look if you took this page from Stephen's playbook? What if you spent your days gazing steading upward and seeing the glory of God? Does not all else pale in comparison? If we measure the events in our lives up next to the glory of God we see which things are important and which are not. We see the immense gifts we have been given by a merciful God. God is absolute perfection. He cannot be improved upon. And He cares enough about you to orchestrate the events of your life. Can you not trust him to lead you through the valleys?

And so, my precious friends, "fix your eyes on what is unseen"- make those around you wonder what on earth you could be looking at- and watch your life become a beautiful account of the glory of God.