Open Our Eyes

 By: Joanne Viola

Home.

They say “home is where the heart is” and I fully agree. So it is safe to say, I love my home. It is where my family has lived for the last nearly thirty one years.

It may not be the largest home on my street. Nor the one most updated. But it is home. It is where I settle in at night, can breathe a peaceful sigh, and feel the comfort of familiarity.

The day we moved in – August 3, 1991 to be exact – I walked the property line and let the feeling of ownership fill my heart. A little over a half acre and it was ours.

Every tree, every bush, and each plant on our parcel was now ours. Ours to tend to and grow and enjoy.

Every day is much the same routine for me – pour my mug of coffee, head to the family room, look out at the morning sky, and let my eyes scan the yard. I take in as many nuances as possible as each morning is precious .

Same trees. Every season different. No morning quite the same. And there’s beauty to behold every single morning.

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.

– Marcel Proust, as quoted in the book Doing Life Differently, by Luci Swindoll

The changes of seasons speaks to me of God’s faithfulness. The daily beauty my eyes take in each day speaks to me of His reliability. I can depend on Him to show up each and every day of my life.

“The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness."
(Lamentations 3:22-23, NASB)

Our circumstances change from day to day, and so do our feelings. God will always be loving. He will always be faithful. He will always be our source of strength. He will always be our hope.

“Indeed” – the word captures my thoughts. It is defined as “in fact; in reality; in truth; truly (used for emphasis” (from dictionary.com).

The word has been placed there for emphasis, so we would be assured of its truth – “The Lord’s lovingkindesses indeed never cease.”

The quote, as shared by Luci Swindoll, has been thought provoking. Changing our scenery will only fill us with a temporary contentment. The problem lies not with the scenery, but with our eyes.

We truly need new eyes – eyes which behold the beauty God places in front of us each day – right in the moment.

The psalmist recognized his need for better vision:

“Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law.”
(Psalm 119:18, NASB)

Ad agencies recognize the power of a good commercial. Our eyes have an appetite, wanting what they see.

It’s a new year, another beginning. Let’s make it a year of meeting with God, each day, in the pages of our Bibles. He is waiting for each one of us to come for He has something to say to us each day.

May our eyes feast on God’s Word, and God’s beauty each day.
And may we discover His mercies, always fresh each morning!

 

Do you use a devotional book to keep you in God’s Word? Do you have a Bible reading plan for this year? If you are looking for a reading plan, you may want to use the one offered by Woman to Woman and you can download it HERE.

 

Photo by Sarah Egerer on Unsplash