When I was a child and we'd cruise down the highway in my parents' Chevy station wagon, I would often gaze out the window and watch the scenery whip by me in a blur. Every so often, my eye would catch a glimpse of something that I wanted to go back and take a closer look at, but it was too late - we'd already sped past.
Much of my life is like that - I'm moving at laser speed and I don't slow down to truly "see" what is right in front of me. For 2016, I have chosen the word "see" as my watchword for the year. I am smart enough and old enough to know not to set lofty resolutions, but I can work on truly seeing.
Our God is El Roi...the God who sees. He never takes His eyes off me. I am created in His image, so I too, am called to see. I want my eyes to not only glimpse, but to dwell long enough to take in the depths of:
His Creation
His gifts to me
His will for me
I believe that the eyes are the window of the soul. I want to look beyond the facades and masks that others wear and look long enough to see others' hurt, pain, and suffering. Having lived my life with on again/off again depression and anxiety, I can look (with pretty good accuracy) and see when others are depressed, suffering, aching, or are in need of being "seen".
My choice now, is am I going to slow down long enough to show Christ's love to them? Or, am I going to leave their faces as a blur as I whip by at my hectic pace?
I like the passage in "The Greatest Gift" by Ann Voskamp that says:
"People aren't bodies; they are hearts. We could train our eyes to turn everything inside out.
'Why should the eye be so lazy? Let us exercise the eye until it learns to see,' writes G. K. Chesterton. Let us exercise the eye until it sees through the fat of things, down to the eternal of things. Let us exercise the eye by walking with Christ.
There is this call for every Christian to answer His calling to be an ocular surgeon. Our seeing must cut through surfaces and down to souls."
Scripture says that God looks not at the outward appearance, but at the heart. I, too, want to be one who sees others' hearts. A also want to "see" the heart of God as He sees me.
Seeing is a two way street - being seen, and seeing God and others.
I ask the Lord to give me rich insights as I see Him in EVERY circumstance of my life.
Give me insight - let me "see in" to God, others, and the world around me.
Often horses in a race or pulling carriages have blinders on so that they don't get spooked by distractions around them. I pray that God would remove the blinders I've fastened on my eyes. Full vision is needed for seeing the complexity of God's signs and wonders.
When I am "spooked" by the enemy's lies, I pray that God would give me eyes to see and DISCERN His truth.
Seeing = Discerning
In order to see His Truth, I need to keep my eyes firmly fixed on Him!
When I take the time to truly see God - to gaze into His eyes, I sense Him lifting my head ever so gently and gazing at me with the soulful eyes of a Good Father. He whispers to me, "You are loved!"
What is your word for 2016??
Dear Lord, help me to stop, be intentional, and actually see You in new and glorious ways. I also want to truly see others and what's going on in their lives so that I might love them better. I want to not be in such a hurry that I can actually focus on the here and now...what is right in front of my nose. I pray for the ability to truly see the pain others are suffering and lend support whether it's across the street or across the globe. I want to see myself as You see me...to look at life through Your lens...not my own. Lord, let it be so in my life. In the precious name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Be blessed...
ps. Will you take the time to truly "see" the young, destitute victims of the evil going on in the Middle East? Hate is making orphans out of these precious children of God. For just $12/month you can get one child off the dangerous streets and into the classroom at Redeemer Christian School in Pakistan. Check out the MISSIONS tab above and send your contribution now to:
Redeemer Christian Foundation, Inc.
103 Silver Lining Lane
Cary, NC 27513
25+ impoverished children are on the waiting list, waiting for your response. Please make 2016 a life saving year for them!!
**giving statements will be sent at the end of 2016**
Seeing = Discerning. Just the change of verb can improve our response, I think. Seeing can be a mindless action; discerning requires observation, thought and wisdom. Thank you, Bev, for a worthwhile focus as we begin 2016: full vision for what God would have us see, and his wisdom to discern how to respond.
ReplyDeleteNancy,
ReplyDeleteI like this..."discerning requires observation, thought, and wisdom." Discerning takes the next step - to acting upon what we see. I always appreciate your insights!! Many blessings to you in this New Year!
Always,
Bev
ps. I actually played (and we sang off key) Christmas carols on the piano this year - major accomplishment. Thank you for urging me on :)
I love your thoughts on seeing. Especially the reminder to slow down enough to show Christ's love to those who are in need of being seen! Thank you for that. But I do think I would benefit from those blinders placed on the horses, so as not to be distracted by things outside my true focus. Blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteStacy,
DeleteYou raise a really good point and give me food for thought...yes, often I would like to have and would benefit from having blinders on in order to keep my focus on Him. Unfortunately, life doesn't come with blinders, so I must exercise and train my eyes to stay focused on my life-giving Lord. Thank you for your thoughts and encouragement!!
Blessings,
Bev
Oh, Bev, you and I are hearing the same song as we enter 2016. Standing with you in the fight for less. I, too, want to slow down, to learn the feel of the word "no" in my mouth without guilt in the heart, to leave space for God to work without my eyes glancing at my watch to see if He's working fast enough to suit me. Blessings to you as you seek this path as well. Always good to know what your heart is saying.
ReplyDeleteMichele,
DeleteOh how frustrated I get, trying to get God to move on MY timetable, silly girl that I am. I really feel Him calling to me to slow down so that I don't miss the marvels and wonders along the way. Sometimes, that does involve saying, "No", to other things.
Blessings to you sweet friend,
Bev
Bev, I'm with you. Slowing down is never easy in this rat race of a world, but it's so necessary and needful if we truly want to see all God is doing. Thank you for this wonderful reminder!
ReplyDeleteMicah,
DeleteSlowing down is never easy, but oh so necessary to truly be able to "see" all that God is doing around us and wants to do in us. Here's to putting on the brakes!
Blessings,
Bev
I feel like I've been moving at "laser speed" as well. I can so relate to you here, Bev. What a wonderful focus for 2016. I'm looking forward to learning about all the beauty you open your eyes to this year! Many blessings!
ReplyDeleteCandace,
DeleteSo good to have you here! I know I will fall back into bad habits and return to "laser" mode. Praying God will slow me down and open the eyes of my heart.
Blessings to you friend,
Bev
Good morning, sweet Bev. Happy New Year! I love your word for 2016. And I love the quote you shared by Ann Voskamp. In a conversation with another lady last night we were talking about "seeing" our husbands through God's eyes. And shouldn't we "see" everyone through God's eyes? I know not always easy and we move through our days so quickly to not even notice people, so yes, may we slow down to see.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your encouragement as I enter the writing world again, maybe. :)
Much love to you, (((hugs)))
Beth
Beth,
DeleteLove, love, love "seeing" you back in the blogosphere again! Oh, what a different world this would be if we could "see" others (especially our wonderful husbands) through God's eyes. Wanting to look through God's lens this year! Happy New Year sweet friend...
Blessings and ((hugs)),
Bev
Hi Bev and Happy New Year! I have missed you! I love your one word "see" for 2016 and even more I love that you call it your watch word. There is something about that term that caught my attention. Choosing a one word means more when it is prat of your everyday vernacular and not just a word you right about at the beginning of each year.
ReplyDeleteI write about my one word today and know that through reflection, prayer, and intentionality it will be an amazing year. Love and hugs friend!
Mary,
DeleteGlad to know I'm missed when I go off the radar for a while. I call it my watch word because I need the sense of accountability and a focus to still my restless soul. I truly do want this to last beyond the beginning of the year. Joining with you in setting a spiritual mission for the year! In God's strength...we can do this!
Love and ((hugs)),
Bev
Slowing down. Yes, yes, Bev. There's just no way we can be fully present for another soul if we're always racing to the next goal.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the caution, the wisdom, the love you're sharing here.
Linda,
DeleteMore of Him...less of me. Less of me racing toward the next goal so that I might truly "see" others and God working around me! Thanks, as always, for your encouragement.
Blessings friend,
Bev
Bev, beautiful post! I so agree with you, as we slow down, rest in Christ's finished work, we can truly see His grace at work in our lives...many blessings to you ❤️
ReplyDeleteThanks Beth,
DeleteI love this..."rest in Christ's finished work". The hard work has been done by Christ and we are blessed to live in the grace, love, and mercy it manifests!
Blessings back to you,
Bev