Eyes to see...

Recently, I was in the car, running errands, radio on. I consider the ability to dial up contemporary Christian music on my radio to be quite a blessing in my life... God often uses it in my spirit as an encouragement. On this particular day, though, He got my attention in another way...

One of my latest favorites came on... Brandon Heath's "Give me your eyes". It's one of those where you just have to turn up the volume a little & sing along. Have you heard it? If not - go check it out: http://www.brandonheath.net/

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Yeah, I mean right now - go! I'll wait...

Ok - now you've heard it - it's great, right? :)

Back to the story...

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Sooo.....I'm singing along as I approach an intersection....
"all those people going somewhere... why have I never cared..."

~sigh~ light is turning red ....

"Give me your eyes for just one second..."

slowing, coming to a stop...

"Give me your eyes so I can see..."

still singing along, glancing around the intersection...

"Everything that I keep missing, Give me your love for humanity"...

Oh, no! There's a 'team' of "homeless people" at several points of this intersection. And, there's one standing right beside the spot where I'll be stopping.

"Give me your arms for the broken hearted..."

Quick, look away before we make eye contact...

"The ones that are far beyond my reach..."

Not fast enough... he shows me the sign he's holding, it's an appeal for help...

"Give me you heart for the ones forgotten..."

I give a small "compassionate" smile, an almost imperceptible nod (no)... and look away as if something draws my attention elsewhere. Seems like it takes forever for the lights to cycle.

"Give me your eyes so I can see..."

"Yeah..... Yeah...... Yeah...... Yeah...."

Green Light! Whew! Glad that's over with! C'mon... you know what I'm saying...right? It's a little uncomfortable in that situation. Stuck there for the moment, you're forced to deal with that appeal in one way or another... give something, yell at him, scowl at him, pretend not to see him, just stare at him... smile, but nod "no". You see, no matter which you choose, you can't escape the response.

I mean, I didn't have money to give him... and he would probably use it for drugs or alcohol anyway, right? And, we shouldn't encourage them to stand there in traffic where it's not safe, right? And, besides that, I've heard stories that these guys make more money than I do! He will never go out & get a job if we let him stand there & get "easy" money, right?

"I’ve been here a million times

A couple of million eyes

Just move and pass me by

I swear I never thought that I was wrong

I need a second glance

Give me a second chance

To see the way you’ve seen the people all along..."

Then it came... that quiet but powerful whisper in my spirit...

"Do you really mean that?

What you're singing...

do you REALLY mean that?"

Wow... it hit me like the proverbial "ton of bricks" - I did not mean it! I was satisfied with the defense I had already worked out, the answers I had already formulated. In other words, I was perfectly content with my own eyes... despite what my mouth was saying!

Today, a couple of weeks later... I can't claim to have an answer to share with you on the plight of homelessness. But, I can tell you that every time I hear that song now... I stop & think about what I'm singing. And, somehow, I suspect that this is only the beginning of the lesson...