Eyes of Hope!
ONHL Hospice Chaplain Drumright, Oklahoma
What kind of eyes do you have? Misty blue? Baby brown? Gorgeous gray? Vibrant violet? Emerald green? Sparkling hazel? Or perhaps Bette Davis eyes? Beady Eyes? Soft eyes? Hardened eyes? Near-sighted eyes? Far-sighted eyes? Wondering eyes? Focused eyes? Black eyes? (ouch!) Sad eyes full of discouragement, or eyes saturated with hope and filled with joy? Do you possess eyes that zero in on the growth areas and gaps that people like to label “weaknesses/liabilities?' (We all have both, you know!) Or do you possess eyes that search and laser lock-on to the best in humanity? (You KNOW we all have gifts and strengths given to us by our Creator as well.) Obviously, there are so many types of eyes.
Jesus said, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But, if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!' (Matthew 6:22-23) From this verse we see that 1) our eyes reveal what’s in our heart, and 2) our eyes are intake devices for bringing thoughts focused on good or evil into our minds and hearts.
So 1) do your eyes reveal that you host the light of God within you, even in this dark world? A person with eyes of hope would see through the veil of hopeless/evil things and see the Creator’s infinite ability to create something good out of the worst situation. Hope is new eyes that can see better than 20/20 -- eyes that are not just near-sighted to the immediate need, but trust in the far-farsightedness of God to navigate you through the pain, frustration, and hopelessness to the solution, peace, healing that God offers. Hope is the ability to see with new eyes that have extra-peripheral vision and can see more out of the corner of the eye than worldly things, tempting you into self-centered activities that rob of relationship and productivity, but eyes that notice God in the wings, directing the key parts of the His plan.
Also, 2) do your eyes resist the temptation to focus on shortterm pleasures that end with a bite? Do your eyes focus on God’s Word, worship, prayer, and edifying times with people of like faith, where one can make a difference in the lives of others? May God give us spiritual eyes; eyes that see into the realm that most don't notice, but we all feel is real and true.
May we have eyes that wear the glasses of the Word of God, which clarify what we are seeing and bring insight and understanding and direction! Do we have the right kind of eyes? Jesus can give us new spiritual vision! Eyes that can confidently see reality and are no longer blinded by this world's allurement or Satan's grip.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please give me the desire and the power to do your will of seeing the best in Your creation and supporting change. Please give me eyes to see and laser focus on whatever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtue, praise-worthy. Please give me eyes to see Your love and acceptance and plan for me whether or not I have the understanding, love, and appreciation.
John T. Catrett, Iii Scissortail Hospice Chaplain 306 North Main Street, Suite E Bristow, OK 74010 918.352.3080