'Open The Eyes Of My Heart, Lord … Be Ready To Be Amazed!'

“Let the children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the Kingdom of God belongs” (Mark 10:14).

Two weeks ago our neighbors extended an invitation to my husband and me to attend a Kentucky Derby party. We were excited to attend, especially since we have never really been part of this traditional celebration. As I sat enjoying meeting new people, indulging in the wonderful southern cuisine (I never experienced a mint julep before) and listening to the live music, my attention was drawn away from the festivities by a blonde-haired, blue-eyed little boy of two.

This little guy totally captivated me! As most two-year-olds, he was extremely busy and constantly on the move. He found delight and amazement in all that he encountered. Watching him over the course of the afternoon allowed me to experience life through a child’s eyes once again. I witnessed the joy found in small surprises of life and the vast openness possessed by a child to experience all of life in its fullness.

As the afternoon progressed I was lucky enough to get my share of kisses blown and caught, peek-a-boo played and giggles heard. I was delightfully reminded of God’s ever present availability!

This wonderful, unexpected experience brought to mind a beautiful story by Dee Dee Robin entitled “Through a Child’s Eyes.”  I have shared this story often with my students over the years as conversations surfaced regarding the presence of God in our lives.

The story is about a little girl named Lizzy and an old man. Lizzy sees her neighbor rocking in his rocker day in and day out, staring out into the world. One day Lizzy asks the old man, “Mr. old man, what are you looking for out there as you rock back and forth every day” ? He replies, “I’m looking for God. Before I die I need a sign.” Lizzy is rather puzzled by his response and assures him that the signs are all around when you can smell a fresh flower or hear a bird sing … “If you are searching for something monumental, you have closed your eyes because to see God is to see simple things, to see God is to see life in all things.”

In the remembering of this story the deeper meaning of the day’s experience made itself known to me. God was present to me in the form of a small little boy – he was the sign! How grateful I am for this reminder.

I often wonder why we somehow lose the ability to be engaged in our world the way we once were. Are we now limited to seeing the world with only our eyes?  In the story, Lizzy tells the old man, “we see the signs (the presence of God) with our heart not our eyes.”  Have we allowed our sight to become obstructed and ourselves to be constantly distracted? Are we like the old man waiting for something big to happen – all the while missing all the smaller signs that speak of His presence every day?  

Let us all be open to those unexpected encounters that open our eyes and our hearts a little bit wider to embrace the grace available in all things and all people.

As children of God let us borrow words from this familiar song written by Paul Baloche and pray….

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord

Open the eyes of my heart

I want to see You

I want to see You

Be ready to be Amazed!