In Plain Sight.....

Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle, and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in the God’s sight. – 1 Peter 3:4&5

Have you ever lost sight of the obvious? The things that set in plain view – the picture of a niece on the shelf, the star shaped post-it notes, that rubber band that’s been laying on the floor just beneath the computer desk for weeks. There’s a vast amount of “stuff” we intentionally overlook daily – some because we’re too lazy to change them others because we fear picking them up and looking deeper into their story.

Today, my good friend Mark, reminded me gently of the wealth of stories I overlook simply because my eyes aren’t quiet focused. These things that surround me are filled with joy, laughter, work, and peace, yet I pass by them regularly and refuse to look deeper.

Let’s take the nine inch rubber band that I use to bind my class work together. It’s one of those huge rubber bands that you can slip your toes through to weigh it down and stretch it to your chin. In fact, that’s the fun of the thing. My son, does just that. He stands on it and stretches it the length of his 6’ 6 ½” body, then roars in laughter as he plucks at it like strings on a stand-up bass. He refers to it as the Mammoth Band. A smile crosses my lips as I tug at the silly thing and see the memories that come into view.

Sometimes we just need to sit and finger through the paperclips, play with the scotch tape, shoot staples from the stapler. I found it’s the little things we fail to notice -- the simple parts of our inner self, our spirit that we miss. It’s those same things we fail to look for in Christ. So, today when I pushed my computer chair away from the desk I asked the Father,

“Why didn’t You say something sooner? Why didn’t you tell me to open my eyes?”

“What did you want me to say?” He answered as He scratched His back against the door frame.

“There You go, answering a question with a question? I need statements not more questions.”

“So, what’s the question?” God asked.

“There You go again.”

“What?” asked the Father.

I rolled my eyes. “Asking me the questions. I asked You first.”

“And I’m asking you what?” He mused.

“What what?” I threw my hands into the air.

He slid my reading glasses across the desk and propped them in plain sight. “Read that line from my book.” I reached for my glasses and He slipped his hand over mine to prevent me from taking hold of them.

“I can’t see the words without my glasses.”

“That’s my point. We all need help seeing occasionally. I see everything about you and every inch I have in my sight is worthy to be seen. So why do you question?”

I sucked in a deep breathe and exhaled slowly. “Oh, I guess I see.”

“Funny how a question can give sight to the blind, don’t you think?”

I learned today, not only can God play 20 questions, but that my vision can be 20/20, and unless I peer about me and see at the multitude of things I overlook daily, I’m really blinded by the sight. There’s stories all around us, we merely have to look. God sees deep within our hearts, and He never fails to pick up the little parts of us that go unnoticed by most, twisting and turning, observing every inch. An attribute I need to practice. So, God being God, handed me my glasses and trudged down the hallway softly singing, “Jesus loves the little children, red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight…..”

I dripped a splash of eye drops into my eyes. My sight blurred but within seconds I could see clearer than I’d ever seen before – but then again, I looked this time.