“And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, ‘Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!’ … They said to Him, ‘Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.’ And moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.” – Matthew 20:30, 33-34
It was my son’s eighteenth birthday. Clouds hung heavy in the sky and the glorious sea breeze blew in our faces. My family and I traipsed along the beach, enjoying the treasure of simply being together. Suddenly my husband referred to verse three of a favorite hymn, “The Love of God”:
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
GOD’S LOVE. Somehow its enormity magnified as we gazed at the ocean’s limitless expanse … considered the sea’s unfathomable depth. Moments later, I looked into the sky. Amazingly a heart shape surrounded by clouds filled my vision, as if God was personally emphasizing His love to me. I joyfully pointed it out to my family, who then saw it also.
We’ve been through so much this past year, my family and I. Yet through it all, God has continued in faithfulness and everlasting love. All of the trials, every tear, and each victory–God closed my year with a fresh perspective of His love. I’m touched by His tenderness. And I long to know Him more …
So here’s my prayer for 2013: “Lord, open my eyes … I want to know more of Your heart, more of Your ways, more of Your will. I’m desperate to think like You and see with Your eyes. Please mercifully heal whatever fleshly blindness hinders me from freely following You. Open my eyes that I might behold You clearly and imitate You more accurately.
God be praised. He’s a God of mercy who moves with compassion … touches and heals us so we can see … so we can follow Him.
“For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 4:6
Photo by Everett Wickham
