See It For The First Time, (Again)

There are so many nice, sentimental sayings about seeing the world through the eyes of a child.  I am POSITIVE that the people who created those sayings did not have eight children.  Yes, it is great that children look at the world with a sense of inquisitiveness, however when you get to be the one answering the same question eight times, it sometimes doesn’t seem that great.

We live in a rural area, so not all of my children go to what we call “town” very frequently.  I have mentioned before how I try to take each of my children by themselves to have one-on-one time with me whenever I get the opportunity.  This means eight chances for someone to see something for the first time and eight chances for me to practice patience.

When I do put aside my impatience, and actually take the time to listen to all of their questions, it is really interesting to discover all the things I simply have stopped seeing.  One of my sons asked me about these striped signs on the side of the road recently and I was a little startled to realize that I had completely forgotten what they meant because I was just so used to seeing them!

I know it is impossible to live in our world and see everything, just the advertising alone would drive us crazy.  However, I also don’t want to become jaded, especially to things that really matter.  I pray that I could keep the eyes of my heart open to the wonderful truth and beauty that God wants to show me.  I want to be able to see the hurting people and be able to love them.  I want to really see my children and the wonderful people they are growing into.

I pray all these things for you too, my friends.  I pray for open eyes and open hearts that you might truly see your world around you and all the people in it.  I pray that your hearts will not become jaded, but instead will be soft.  “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe.”  Ephesians 1:18