Ready For the Road Ahead
My sister Diana and I took great delight in designing games for my youngest sister, Kim, when she was little. One of our favorites was a birthday scavenger hunt where Kim had to figure out clues in order to discover the whereabouts of her presents. Kim had a great deal of fun searching for those gifts and Diana and I took delight in watching her eyes light up when she figured out a clue and was rewarded with another colorful package.
This past week I joined an online photography group called the "365 Project". Photographers of all levels of ability search out pictures that capture their daily routines in a creative and unique way. The idea is to learn to look at the common, everyday things with a new perspective. You don't need fancy equipment or a top of the line camera. All you need is eyes to see.
The Christian walk requires us to look for God in a similar fashion. Years ago (1984 to be exact) David and Karen Mains wrote a book called The God Hunt. In it they encouraged families to search for "God sightings" like Kim searched for her birthday presents those many years ago. I recently read of a young mom who uses the walk to the school bus with her children as a way to see God at work in the world around them. They look at the birds and see God's creativity. They say hello and smile at people they know and see His love. What a wonderful way to inspire children to recognize that God is with His creation!
Developing your spiritual eyes is a must on the walk of Christian maturity. It's a challenge to see life through a spiritual lens, because as adults, we've been conditioned to be concrete and practical. But if we do not learn to see things from a spiritual perspective, we may end up like the servant of Elisha, who could only see the enemies encircled around his camp (2 Kings 6: 8-17). It took the prayer of Elisha to open his eyes to the spiritual realm.
Cultivating your spiritual eyes is not difficult, but it does require that you look beyond the ordinary and the usual. One day, while I waited for my friend to check out her groceries, I was charged with the task of entertaining her 3 year old daughter. How do you keep an active toddler in a shopping cart in a busy supermarket? In a moment of inspiration I began a game of "I Spy". Cloe loved finding the different colors and objects and I was amazed at her powers of observation! The same is true in seeing God. You are more observant than you think! Seeing God at work does not always mean we will be looking at "supernatural" events in our lives. More often it is learning to see those everyday events from a new vantage point. It doesn't take fancy equipment or a top of the line camera to catch sight of God. All you need is eyes to see.
Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men. (Psalm 66:5)
Ann H. LeFevre 1/23/2011
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