Last year when I turned 41, my eyes decided I was old enough to get reading glasses. It felt like overnight I went from seeing just fine, to "playing trombone" with whatever reading material I had, trying to get it into focus. I had always had really good vision, but now I need readers to get me through the day.
About a month or so ago, the Lord challenged me to see things with spiritual eyes. I try to, I really do, but my spiritual eyesight has become dim. My Quiet Times are more often than not perfunctory, not powerful. My worship distracted, not fully engaged. While I do pray throughout the day, praying in the Spirit is less frequent than I'd like. I see things in the natural, but I'm missing Spiritual insight into what is really going on around me.
Here's an example from my recent trip to Guatemala. On the bus ride back to Belize, there was a group of teenagers and their chaperone. The kids were well dressed, fresh haircuts, excited to be traveling. Their chaperone was conscientious, always making sure his kids were on time to re-board the bus and making sure they had food to eat. I watched them and figured they were on a school trip somewhere. It wasn't until I was almost home that my traveling companions explained that those boys were migrants, accompanied by a "coyote" or smuggler.
On the road, we had been stopped by Guatemalan soldiers several times- Immigration, Narcotics, even checking if we were transporting fruits. Each time the soldiers boarded the bus the passengers had to show our identification papers. Each time the coyote disembarked, paid the officials and we were on our way again. How did I miss this? How was this all happening and I was so oblivious? I, who had worked with undocumented youth for years? I, who had fostered 8 teens who had been trafficked into the US? I had eyes, but failed to see.
Jesus addressed this type of spiritual nearsightedness with his disciples in Mark 8:17-18
17 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember?"
This return trip from Guatemala was a wakeup call; there is so much I could be missing if I'm not looking with God goggles. He places me in situations, not just to passively observe, but to engage, to be a light, to push back the darkness. I have been asleep and I need to wake up. I need to put my goggles on every morning and ask God to show me what I cannot see. How bout you? Will you wear your God goggles today?