Eyes

Call me silly but I have been thinking lots about eyes lately.  Have you ever noticed how much you can tell about a person and their life by their eyes?  Ask any loving mother and she can certainly tell you.  Ever notice how someone who loves the Lord has eyes that dance with joy or those living in sin show darkness in their eyes. What about the orphan child with the blank stare showing a dull look in their eyes.  If you study a persons eyes, so often you can even determine if they are speaking truth.  Although, sometimes it seems easier to not know! :( So it made me wonder, what does the Bible say about the eyes?  Perhaps one of the best verses I found was Matthew 6:22. It says, "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,"  Wow!!!  Perhaps that is why you can see so much in the eyes.

Another incredible verse is:

"For this people’s heart has become calloused;  they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’  But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it." Matthew 13:15-17

Have you also noticed that Adam and Eve's eyes that were opened when they ate the fruit of the forbidden tree. Not their hearts or their minds but their eyes.   As Christians, we speak of eyes often perhaps not even giving real thought to it.  We pray that the Lord open their eyes but do we think about it.  Do we realize that it is not just Christianese but truly that "the eyes are the lamp of the body"?  Do we realize that we are asking for their "while body to be full of light?"  That is an incredibly amazing thought!!!

Once God puts something on your heart, the simplest of things can be so complex and yet at the same time more simple than ever before.  Never again will I take lightly the truths or importance held by our very eyes.  I dare you. . .really look at people eyes for there you may see their heart also. Although, I promise, at times the truths you see there will be hard.

 

Close to my heart - Adoption

Today's topic is one very near and dear to my heart. It is adoption. Since all of our children are adopted, it is something that we have given a great deal of thought to. Often I will hear people say they would love to adopt one day. I say, in most situations "no time like the present". Just think. . . somewhere there is a child hoping each day that you will be brave enough and convicted enough to come and get them. Somewhere there is a hungry child that has not had a hug today that aches for someone to call mom or dad.

Sometimes people will say, I just have not been "called" to adopt. I have to beg to differ. You have! James 1:27 says, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." I believe the pollution of the world is selfishness. As long as we think selfishly, we will not accept this calling. But clearly God means for the orphans to be taken care of. If you are a Christian, then you are called!

The next big objection is money. How true it is that nearly everything comes down to money these days. Sad isn't it? Especially when you consider that "...but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures..." (Luke 8:14) We let money just suck the good right out of life by giving it so much importance. Do you believe God's Word? Do you believe He is in control of everything? Do you believe that He intends to take care of the orphans? Do you believe that if you are doing His will that He would then withhold the resources necessary to do the job? He love us and provides for us. That includes the orphans.

We have a real life story of this. Our daughter was adopted from China. We did not have the money for the adoption and began on faith. We were simply being obedient and that was all we had to go on. God provided every cent needed. Some was provided through Show Hope, some through anonymous donations to the adoption agency, and much of it was provided through extra opportunities to earn it. But it was all provided (no loans necessary)! It was and continues to be a blessing beyond words!

Now, I cannot talk about adoption without going one more place.  Did you know that God loves you enough to adopt you? If you are a Christian, He already has.  You have been adopted as the son or daughter of the Most High God.  If you have not accepted Jesus as your Savior, then He is waiting for you.  He wants to adopt you as well.  Sometimes that is hard for us to accept that God could love us that much, but it is true. No matter who you are or what you have done.  He wants you as His own. His son, Jesus, died a horrible dealth that was meant to completely cover the debt of all you have ever done wrong (sins).  All you need to do is tell Him you know that you have sinned, you want His forgiveness and for Him to be your Savior.  That simple! Don't wait another day. This is the most important thing you will ever do. You could be living today as the son or daughter of the Most High God!!!

If you have questions about any of this, please don't hesitate to contact me.  You can do so through comments and just ask me not to post your comments if you want them private.