The Eyes Have It

My son and I ventured half way around the world recently to visit dear friends in the Philippines.  It was quite a trip and while my prayer for months had been that God would open my child's eyes, it was my eyes that were open. No, not so much to ways of living that are so much different than mine, but to the eyes of those I saw on the trip.  Let me share a few:

during a layover in Hong Kong

First of all, my son's eyes.  The eyes that were so heavy the night before because he was too excited to sleep and those same eyes that popped open very early to head to the airport.  His eyes saw many things on this trip, things he has heard about, but never has seen to really believe.  The eyes that had the "cool" look that only a 10 year old boy can have when he met his buddy at the airport. The tired eyes of jet lag. The adrenalin filled eyes as he jumped off a 22' cliff into a pool of water on the side of a mountain. Or the excited eyes as he zip lined.  The eyes that showed compassion to those we passed on a mountain trail as he saw thatched roofs and dirt floors of houses. The eyes that looked out an apartment window to clothes hanging on clotheslines in a monsoon and the questioning of "why?" that was there. The light that lit up his eyes when he was finally able to pass out some silly bands to kids there.  The tear-filled eyes as we drove away from our hotel where we had just told precious friends good-bye.The smile that reached his eyes as he read a letter from Sarah after our take off from Manila.  And the eyes filled with love as he ran to his daddy and sister in the airport!  Oh those chocolate brown eyes that I simply adore!

The excited blue eyes that met us at the airport.



The eyes of precious little children from another part of our world.
          

The eyes of new friends that forever will hold a place in our hearts, even if we never meet again in this lifetime.

The eyes that just glow when talking to a friend on her birthday.



The eyes that simply say "its the simple things in life that bring the greatest pleasure sometimes".

The eyes that share new experiences with someone and the love seen there.

The joy filled eyes in treasures found.

The eyes of my young missionary friend as she is adjusting to a whole new way of life, where everything that has been normal is now a thing of the past. Changes. Differences.  Those are the new normal.  Those eyes that questioned at times as she used a new language to get us places. The eyes that filled with confidence when what she spoke was understood.  The eyes, that never looked haughty, but always filled with a humility and strength that only comes from God. The eyes that just show Jesus' love when you look into them.  The eyes that cry tears over what she misses and longs for, but eyes filled with the knowledge that she is exactly where she is suppose to be. Those eyes of wisdom way beyond her years at times, yet filled purity and innocence from the Word she has hidden in her heart. 

The eyes of my dear friend.

And then there were the eyes of those watching these letters fill the screen now. They have seen these places before, but were opened on a whole new level.  This time they were not looking at another country, another way of life.  This time, they were processing all the things they were seeing.  They took in every inch of a third floor apartment, wanting to remember everything about the place Sarah now called "home".  The eyes that filled with overwhelming pride as they watched Jo and Sarah minister to precious young Filipino ladies in Jo's living room.  The eyes that found themselves just watching these ladies and admiring their courage, their strength, their devotion to our God.  The eyes that filled with tears as we stood on Sarah's rooftop and watched the sunset and listened to the busy life of the street below and prayed together for her life, her ministry, her heart. The eyes that roamed around tables and shared many meals over the two weeks with some pretty amazing folks. Missionaries that have served for years and newly appointed missionaries being sent.  These brown eyes, surrounded by crows feet and still bloodshot from jet lag, took in a lot, the many people and the places she saw,  many things that went to the eyes of her heart. Those images, though not caught on camera, but  forever caught in the image files of her mind.  The goodbye image these eyes remember is by far the most difficult one to look at, but the one that stands out like the full moon on a clear night. The image that made these eyes stayed closed for much of the flight home, not in sleep but in prayer. Prayer for God's amazing grace, strength and mercy to pour down on my dear friends left behind as they fulfill the plans God has set before them and those they come in contact with every day will see our great God, Comforter, Healer, Saviour, Friend...in their eyes!

Brand New Endings

‎"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." Carl Bard

So we really don't know who Carl Bard is, but as Bobby Tucker brought the message this morning @antiochconway this was the quote he used.  What awesome truth in such a simple statement.

Bobby shared with us about Rahab, the prostitute, and how her choices in life was leading her down a road with not a happy ending.  Thankfully, she put her faith in God and chose His ways and God gave her a brand new ending!

He also shared about Bathsheeba, and how the choices of King David changed the road for her, but she trusted God and He gave her a brand new ending through it all.

Lastly he shared about Ruth.  Who doesn't love the book of Ruth?!!  Life just happened to Ruth, but she trusted God and He wrote a brand new ending for her as well.

Our lives are not much different.  As I look back on my life I see that I've been like Rahab, I've made many choices in my life that were not best for me. Not God honoring.  And like Bathsheeba, I've had things done to me, choices by other people, that have had major impact on my life.  And like Ruth, life has happened. Hurts have come, just because those happen in life.

It was many years ago that I gave my heart to Jesus, as a child, with child-like faith.  It was simple. It was pure. It was sincere.  Life still happens.  My choices and choices by others still had major impact on my life and the way I handled situations.  Then 2009 happened, and in October of that year, my life literally changed! God wrote me a brand new ending!  I'm so grateful.  He's stretching me little by little every day. Sometimes being stretched hurts.  And sometimes, people only remember the "old me" and that hurts.  And He's healing old wounds and lets face it, healing hurts.  But what blessed assurance He's giving me day by day that He has written my ending!  He is faithful. Always.

There are many days I become so frustrated with self that I about go insane, and then He gently reminds me through a verse, a song, a friend, a sermon, or a book that He is still in control and all I need to do is trust.  And trust I am doing.  I really am seeing what faith can do!  Walls are falling.  Hurts are healing.  He's blessing me beyond anything I could imagine and I'm forever thankful for the ending He is writing for me!

It may be a while before I blog again, but I for sure will when I return from a trip.  Turner and I leave Thursday morning for the Philippines to go visit dear friends there.  We are so excited and we will have much to blog about when we return I'm quite sure!  He has to write a report for school, so we'll be taking lots of notes! :)  Join me in prayer that his eyes will be opened and learn the lesson that "my own little world is not about me".

Happy 2011, friends!  Choose to live this year in His strength and allow Him to write you a brand new ending!