A CURE FOR SAD EYES
image courtesy of photobucket.com
I couldn’t understand her through the muffled speaker, she sounded a bit like Charlie Brown’s teacher. I was in the southern part of the city and hadn’t had time for lunch and it was way past that time. My stomach was doing a poor rendition of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony to remind me of my neglect.
As much as I hate to do it, eating something, almost anything, became the next priority on the list. “Wah-wah-wah-wah”! came the sound from the beat up, graffiti decorated speaker box. I had no clue of what was just said and gave an impatient response, “I’ll have a number one, no mayo, add mustard, and a small Diet Coke”!
“Wah-wah-wah-wah-wah-wah-wah, wah, wah-wah-wah-window”! came the reply. I pulled around, wrestled my wallet out of my pocket with my seat belt still in place while a young voice with an accent gave me the total. The transaction proceeded as usual without me paying much attention to the person serving me until she said, “Thank you-come again.”
As I was saying thanks, I glanced to her eyes to offer some sense of genuineness to my responding words. She was young, probably around 18, a clean cute young kid. Her eyes caught me off guard as I was pulling away… They were the saddest young person’s eyes I can ever remember seeing.
Great… There went my mind trying to figure out why a young person with a job and health would come across as such a sad, defeated person? I can guess what her home life might be like, or how maybe it was for her growing up. The bottom line is she probably didn’t have the saving grace given by God in her life.
Not that I was judging, but that was my sense. She was the face of America…
How can a society as a whole have joy if there is no defined purpose for their lives? The purpose of that girl’s family might be to live it up, live for the moment, make their way the best they can. Do whatever they have to do in order to survive… Cause when they’re gone that’s it… No mas…
People all around us look to define their purpose in life by many different things. Many seek comfort and gratification above all else. Others fill their built in void by shopping, consuming as much as they can as quickly as they can. Still others find their purpose in what they do for work or the objects and people that occupy their days, including the ones whose objects are family or loved ones, even friends.
I don’t think any of those things are bad in and of themselves. It’s the priority and perspective we have regarding them that becomes the real problem. It’s easy for all of us to become a bit obsessed with these things.
These things or objects are gifts from God, but if we don’t know Him, sometimes even when we do know Him, we let the gifts become the objects of worship instead of the One who supplies them.
None of us have to look far to find examples of this in our lives. Everyday we interact with people who have a messed up perspective, including ourselves sometimes. It’s easy to become irritated and even bitter at the ones God places in our paths.
If they don’t know God, we’ll find them serving the god they’ve made in their lives to fill the place He’s designed for Himself. It is impossible for the ones who are lost to find any lasting peace or joy in their lives without understanding the power and love of God in their lives.
If we don’t tell them, and ever better yet, show them, how will they know? As we look into the eyes of the lost, will we see the need, or the enemy? We need to remind them that there is hope. There is a cure for sad eyes…
His name is Jesus Christ… In Him there is peace and joy that is uncontainable, it flows forth and can be seen in our eyes.
What do your eyes reveal about yourself?
Friday, February 3, 2012 @ 10:16 am
Always the eyes. Yes. I do see Jesus in the eyes of those who love Him. I say this to my husband and sons all the time. . you can really see Him!
Now, to show the world that love. Turning your eyes can be much easier than being His hands and feet.
Praying I can see people and circumstances the way that the Father does.
Friday, February 3, 2012 @ 10:45 am
The pleasures of sin last only for a season; the result – “sad eyes”.
My husband and I enjoyed a rare lunch together yesterday and our waitress (bubbly, sweet, accommodating) was sporting a black eye. I wanted so badly to talk with her about it but knew it wasn’t the time or place. You are soooo right, the only hope for any of us is in Christ Jesus, “how will they know if we don’t tell them”.
I need to do more…thanks for the reminder, Floyd.
Friday, February 3, 2012 @ 1:26 pm
You are right Floyd, if not us then who? Thank you for the encouragement, your posts are reaching a desperate world with the power of God’s love.
Friday, February 3, 2012 @ 7:31 pm
I looked into his eyes, and I could see the devil there. He was my husbands cousin, and addicted to drink. We prayed with him and tried to help him on many occasions to no avail. Then because of a bad business deal, he left the State and moved away. While there he began to attend a small Baptist church and was totally converted and saved. Now in his eyes you can see Jesus. Sad that so many young people have those sad eyes, longing for happiness in all the wrong places.
Friday, February 3, 2012 @ 7:35 pm
Sad, despondent, unfulfilled people are everywhere, aren’t they? It does hurt to see….not every circumstance lends to us being able to help, however..
Even when we don’t find ourselves in the position of being able to “say” something, we CAN , immediately, pray. We can pray for a laborer of the harvest to be sent to them….and continue praying for their needs, as God leads.
God know who and when to send..
At least her condition didn’t fall on blind eyes.
Friday, February 3, 2012 @ 7:57 pm
I agree. It’s hard to say what makes someone sad. It may not be that that they don’t know God. One person can not be upbeat and happy all the time. It could of been that young girl was at her second job, trying to make ends meat to bring up the baby boy or girl at home, that maybe she is responsible not only for the children, but a whole house full. It’s exhausting being a sole provider, and I bet she prays to God everynight for some releif.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 @ 6:18 pm
I’m thankful that the spirit prompts us to really look into someone’s eyes and then gives us empathy to wonder about the feelings behind them. We are so distracted that we rarely care, especially if the person is rude…. I’m glad for those moments when we really see for it is in that distilled pause that we can turn the looking glass toward our own faces and ask, ‘what do they see in my eyes?’… it should be love, it should be Jesus, but is it? Good questions, Floyd.