It happened quickly, effortlessly, perhaps almost thoughtlessly, but the prayer slipped out of my mouth: "Help me see them with new eyes."
And then I did.
It was miraculous, really, but suddenly I felt a love for them that I had never felt before. It washed over me. It was instantaneous.
It amazed me.
God sometimes does that, you know, especially when it comes to Love.
Often, when I am around difficult people, I pray that the Lord will "help them" or "change them" or "move me"... but this time a different prayer crept out, perhaps one I should have been praying all along, but had forgotten about. A prayer as simple as "Help me see them with new eyes."
I was the one that needed to change. That doesn't mean the difficult people in my life are right, or that they don't need to change some things, but I am not the one to change them. God has to do that.
I just need God's help in seeing them with new eyes.
Eyes filled with grace, and love, and compassion.
Through His eyes.
With love.
Has God ever shown you something that was this amazingly simple, but so powerful?
Warmly,
{Linked with Women in the Word Wednesdays}
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I keep deleting my comments..I can't seem to find the right words. I loved this post. I am struggling with the "specks" of sin I see everywhere I look, though, I am a wretched sinner saved by grace. Too often I allow the sins of this world that I see, hear and read about on the news to consume me and it eats me alive.
ReplyDeleteWhat freedom this simple request to our Savior can bring...
Thank you once again for a wonderful post...
:)Erin
http://homeswheremyheartis.blogspot.com
@Erin, I know what you mean. I struggle with the same thing.... I'm so glad to have re-discovered this simple, but important, prayer!
ReplyDeleteThis is an important lesson - beautifully conveyed and a post worth sharing. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI love this.... so true. This morning, I was thinking about my children as souls, not just people. That made me think about the people I work with...their eternal SOULS. And that made me think about all of the other people I encounter every single day. Every single person has an eternal soul that is heading somewhere. I am trying to look past the body odor, attitude, clothing..and see them as sinners who need a savior, just like me.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this post...I am struggling with a "difficult" person right now and after reading your post, I know that I should be praying this prayer.
ReplyDeleteSo amazing... wonderful - to be shown so quickly! God is good & yes, I too have been in your shoes struggling with others and realizing I can't change them - only God can! I can't even change me - only God can! I can try... but really until I pray, change will not come on my own.
ReplyDeleteHugs & Prayers, HL
I *am* that "difficult" person sometimes. I am! I am so convicted that to soften the issue at hand seems to defeat the entire purpose of the conviction... But not only do I wish others to see me with new eyes, but I, too, need to see the person with whom I speak in new eyes...
ReplyDeleteThank you for your inspiration.
Patty