Open My Eyes….
That I may see….
Glimpses of truth Thou has for me…
Place in my hand the wonderful key….
That will unclasp and set me free.

All morning in my head I had been hearing the lyrics, “Open my eyes that I may
see.” As I settled into the car, I began to sing those lyrics. I knew that song by
heart; every verse of it. Phil joined in and there we were, driving down the
Interstate belting out this beautiful old hymn.
Those are the beginning lyrics to my favorite hymn growing up. You can find it on
page 89 in the old, worn and torn Cokesbury Hymnal , of which I’m proud to still
have a copy. The first reason I loved it was because it was in a key a kid could
reach. But as I grew older it was the words. They were filled with truth. Whoever
wrote that so many generations ago knew the same words that spoke truth then
would speak truth now when we need it.
He’s involved in whatever involves us.

It’s Just A Rotisserie Chicken – Or Is IT?

We had just left GayLynn’s car with Steve, our trusted mechanic whom we have
known for years. GayLynn is our youngest grown child and the only one who lives
in Grand Prairie. It’s not uncommon for us to help each other with the
unexpected inconveniences, which was the case with her car. Afterwards Phil and
I headed to Costco to buy groceries. We walked by the rotisserie chicken aisle and
Phil suggested we get one. After filling our buggy with way more than we
planned, we headed to the car when Steve called with news about GayLynn’s car.
It wasn’t a simple fix but warranty would cover everything but the labor. Phil
called GayLynn to tell her the news. Relief made us all relax and thankful that God
had stepped into another challenge. While still breathing a sigh of relief I
mentioned we had gotten a rotisserie chicken and why didn’t she stop by and
take a portion of it home. There was silence. “How did you know I was going to
stop and pick up a rotisserie chicken for dinner?” I didn’t know and I told her so.
I began to think about how surprised GayLynn was that we had gotten a rotisserie
chicken, especially since she was planning on getting one for dinner on her way
home later that day. We hardly ever get those but Phil had put one in our buggy. I
didn’t give it a thought but neither did I put it back. I knew it was more than we
would eat, so I made a mental note to offer part of it to GayLynn, which I did.
I almost laughed out loud at how much thought I was putting into the matter of
the rotisserie chicken. Who cares! It’s a chicken; it’s a meal.
It could simply be coincidence except for one problem: I do not believe in
coincidence.

I believe God wants us to know how involved He truly is in the day to
day; in our day to day. If He counts the hair on our head; if a sparrow doesn’t fall
without His knowing, then why wouldn’t He know she was planning to get a
rotisserie chicken on the way home and therefore surprise her? And why not
make it a double blessing; give it to her through us. A win win!
GayLynn works a full-time job while raising a daughter. Stopping at a grocery
store after a long day at work was one less thing on her to-do list for that day.
That rotisserie chicken was more than a surprise; it was more time at home.

God is involved in whatever involves us. We need to see Him in the smallest
coincidence to the big and spectacular!
He is the same yesterday, today and forever; and He wants us to know Him as He
knows us. That kind of relationship requires faith to trust and believe He sees us, He knows
our needs, and His love watches over us.

Most of us did not live in the Great Depression or World War II; our parents and
grandparents did. We were never required to have the kind of faith they had to
have just for their daily meal, clothes on their back, and a place to lay their heads
at night. I grew up hearing stories. They had a faith that I’m not sure our
generation has.

I think the Lord is saying, “What kind of faith will I find when I return?” For those
who are listening and watching, He’s showing us what faith looks like. Maybe
He’s filling our lamps with oil. But He is definitely opening our eyes to see that
life’s problems are much bigger than us. He also wants us to see how big He is.
God is opening our eyes, our ears, our heart and calling us to a better way; His
way where He’s involved in the smallest to the largest concerns of day to day.

The question constantly surrounding us, “Who will you believe; to whom will you
turn when life’s challenges overwhelm?”

Life is hard and then you die…..was a bumper sticker on the car in front of me. I
was working on this post and thinking about how grateful I am to have Jesus in
my life and be what many call, a person of faith. When I write, I ask the Lord to
couch my words in His truth; I’m not writing to feel good; I’m writing to help my
readers understand that without faith they are no better than the guy with the
bumper sticker. Without Jesus, there is no faith. Without Jesus, the words on that
bumper sticker are true. Let that sink in….

GayLynn didn’t pray, “Lord, I need a rotisserie chicken for dinner tonight.” I’m
sure He had a good laugh over how much thought I put into that. I also think He
was equally pleased to know that our eyes, ears and heart are becoming aware of
His Presence in even the small things, in the ordinary, mundane day to day. While
we do what we know to do, He is involved in every step, every breath, every
dream, every question, every need, every desire, as well as every fear that has the
potential to hinder our faith. He is a big God with a big reach and a greater love
than we can humanly grasp.
There are big battles we will face; building our faith is crucial. It begins with asking
Jesus into your heart and then asking Him to show you His way.

🎵
Open my eyes that I may see……
Glimpses of truth You have for me…

Selah.
(Think on these things.)