Sounds kinda gross right? My mom used to use this expression with me and my sister when we were kids, and on the hunt for something. Usually it involved driving somewhere new, and not knowing where we were going. Basically, it means: keep your eyes open at all times, and be on the look out.
The past couple days leading up to this weekend had been pretty trying. We have started reading the Bible every night, and really getting into the breakdown of the scripture, and what God is saying through the writer. Every day I had been feeling closer and closer with God. I started noticing the things and people around me in a whole new way.
Now, I have always been a watcher. I used to go the mall, sit down with a drink or something, and just watch and listen to the people go by. I am definitely a reader of men. Just this past evening my sis called to tell me that the guy we are doing a website for said he was super happy with the site layout I had created...all of it being done by email (he lives in San Fran, and we have never met, except once by phone). I am not trying to brag. I am just setting the scene for you on my earthly knowledge of getting inside people's heads to figure out what they are really thinking.
Up until this point, when I was reading people, it had been mostly superficial. I could figure out what colors you like, what type of music you listen to, who you would like to date, if you are going to be mean or nice, if you are happy or sad, etc. I had never really stopped to think about what the person I was studying thought about God. This has put a whole new spin on watching...and it's not a good feeling.
Like I said, the past few days leading up to this weekend have been hard. Every where I look, I see sadness. These people don't even realize they are sad. They are not presenting the usual signs. No frownie faces..no tears..no...nothing. And that is exactly it. Nothing. Blah. Just lots and lots of blah. You know how sometimes you just haven't had a good day and when you get home you just feel like vegging out in front of the TV and wasting away? That's what I mean by blah. Empty.
Now after a day or two of this it starts to wear on you. If all you see is blah, then that is how you feel, too. I talked to Seth about it, and that night I prayed about what to do. God doesn't just give you the answers you know..you have to help a bit. Friday I was feeling better, and got going on my day. The feeling started to creep back in again, and this time instead of letting it over come me, I decided to push it out until I could do something about it. Well, I got my opportunity later that day. Instead of just listening and nodding when talking, I waited till the end and said, "You know..that used to bother me, too. Ever since I have been going to church those things have just been pushed aside...it's like a whole new set of priorities."
I got a kind of "um..ok...yeah" look, and then it turned into a kind of "ahhh...I see" look. I know that this person is a 'do it yourselfer' like me, so I am not going to push, but the message I was sending did reach the target. It was just a small gesture, but over time, small gestures can turn into something bigger. I have come to realize that Seth was put in my life to give me my small gestures. It took 5 years..but it finally worked.
My hope for you is that you pay attention to the world and people around you. Keep an open mind, and pay attention to those subtle hints that things aren't going as planned. Keep your eye-balls peeled. Something I have been hearing over and over again in the sermons and while reading is "you can't get to heaven by believing in Jesus". Think about that for a second. Even the Devil believes in Jesus.
You have to do more. You have to repent. You have to study. You have to help others come to understand and know Jesus. You have to live a good life, and part of keeping your eyes open means looking everywhere for the next thing that will bring you that much closer to Him.
Our society has been blinded by the here and now, and has no concept of what it means to just be. Yes, we are all able to get things done faster and more efficiently, due to technology, which means we should have more time to enjoy life. Instead, we are expected to work that much harder, and the strain of it all has caused us to lose sight of the fact that what we have now is what we should be thankful for..not what we hope to have some day. The only thing we should be hopeful for is that shining moment when we are before the throne in Heaven, and God says, "Welcome my child".
If we are not keeping our eye-balls peeled, then we will most certainly have them sewn shut for us on the day of judgment.
**As a side note, I would like to thank those who have commented, and given me the courage and will power to continue writing, and God for giving me the material. You have certainly left an impression on me that my thoughts on paper may help save some one else, and that is what I know I have been called to do.**
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