Life has a way of messing with your vision. Oh, to see and not just look. Some days tough situations blur your eyesight. Other days certain people leave you squinting and rubbing your eyes in disbelief. What the heck just happened here? Are you kidding me?! There’s plenty in our world to cloud your perspective and bend your heart until you swear it’s going to implode into a thousand pieces.

I get that. I sort of felt that way this morning before the sun had yawned and stretched and crawled out of bed. Yesterday I learned that a close friend received news that her beloved father has Stage 4 metastatic lung cancer that has now invaded throughout his body. Ugh. Another friend called mid-day and asked me to pray for her former coworker who was facing a half-day surgery to remove a tumor entwined in her neck. Ugh.

My view of this day felt clouded by yesterday’s disheartening news, until I looked out my back deck and saw summer’s flowers still standing even after weeks of cloudy, rainy and snowy weather, and of course, plenty of tree leaves landing on their delicate petals. In the midst of the dreary, I discovered delight!

The Reminder to Look Again

As I put on my shoes to walk Ayrabelle, I thought, What if I look for the little joys and beauty in this day? What if I do not just look, but really see? I thought back to the Bible study I led the other night using Priscilla Shirer’s 90-day devotional book Awaken. For Day 6, Priscilla shares about all the horrified and taken aback people who witnessed a woman sneaking into a dinner party uninvited and “pouring her worshipful tears and perfume on the feet of Jesus.” When Simon, the homeowner and host, and his guests angrily gawked at the shocking spectacle, Jesus directed Simon to look again.Luke 7:44 tells us, “Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you seethis woman?”

Gulp. I am Simon at times. I may look at people and daily circumstances around me, but do I really seethem? Do I shift past the externals to stop and observe what’s really going on in a person’s mind and heart? Or, am I so blustery and busy that I can’t see past and around my own tunnel vision?

So as Bellie walked me this morning, I pulled out my cell phone and began to really seemy neighborhood, praying that I would carry the same delight in the dreary into my schedule-packed day. Instead of dead autumn leaves and barren yards, I began to notice the dawning sun’s splashes of glistening colors. I spotted objects that I walk past every day and glance at but never really notice. Come take a look-SEE with me.

A solo deer track that later led to SEEing six young deer scamper right in front of us

Sunlight on a curled leaf

                          Pikes Peak from the top of my street

Good Morning, Dew

SEEing with Corrected Vision

So what about this day and week will you begin to see with fresh eyes? How can you view the people, opportunities, and challenges around you with eyes of discernment? Or as vocal artist Brandon Heath asks God, “Give me your eyes for just one second, Give me your eyes so I can see, Everything that I keep missing, Give me your love for humanity.”

Eyes that detect below the surface and respond with wonder and gratitude. Eyes that quickly notice the good and learn to overlook when others disappoint.

Simon and his dinner pals couldn’t believe their eyes at the sobbing woman at Jesus’ feet. I hope we can’t believe our eyes for the heaven-sent simplicity and beauty right in front of us . . . in this day . . . and every day. Oh, to see and not just look.