I had an encounter today that I’ll not soon forget. My mother invited my husband and I out to breakfast and while we were sitting there I noticed the woman across the aisle from me. She sat alone eating breakfast. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but a few minutes later she came clearly into focus.

My husband was putting ketchup on his eggs, and I noticed that there wasn’t much in the bottle. Trying to be considerate of him–especially since he’s in a sling after rotator cuff surgery–I thought to get him another fuller bottle of ketchup. I got up and went to a table where no one was sitting and took the ketchup bottle back to ours. When I did, I noticed that the woman sitting by herself was crying.

God so clearly told me, “Go to her.”

So I went. I walked over and said, “Are you all right?” She began to cry even more, but as she did she scooted over. It was like an unspoken request, “Sit with me.” So I did. I put my arm around her and asked her what was wrong. She poured out her heart and told me about her rough morning–about some family problems–about a disguntled co-worker. She mentioned that she’d called her son to come get her because she didn’t have her car there.

My husband is such a tender hearted man and saw what was happening so he too came over to the table. We asked the woman if she was a believer in Jesus. She said she was so we asked if we could pray with her. She was very happy to have us pray and so we did. As we prayed for her, I still had my arm around her. I could feel her relax as God’s peace washed over her. It was the best moment of my day. I had the priviledge to share God–to encourage a sister–to be used of Jesus.

Later, I thought of Brandon Heath’s song GIVE ME YOUR EYES
You can watch his video here
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5AkNqLuVgY)

But I wanted to share the chorus here with you now:
“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”

What a scary proposition. To see as God sees. It’s not something we should ask lightly. It’s a fierce request. A frightening, fearful thing. Imagine all the pain and suffering. I saw one woman crying, but God see millions.

Matthew 6:22 & 23 says, “The eye is the lamp of the body.
If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

My prayer for this year – terrifying as it is – is that God will open my eyes–that I will shine His light–that I will see what He wants me to see and respond. I pray the same thing for you.

Tracie