My 4-year-old daughter loves to play the game, “I spy with my two little eyes.” At least, that is how she says it. You might recognize the game better if I said, “I see something you don’t see” or “riddle riddle ree I see…” These are all variations of the same game. Regardless of how you phrase it, you are calling out a color, and the other players have to identify the object you are looking at by the color you chose. The best way to win this game against a 4-year-old is to think like a 4 year old. What do her little eyes see?
It is good to be seen, isn’t it? Whether by a 4-year-old or a 40-year-old, it is good to know that someone sees you. To be seen by someone goes deeper than recognizing an object, but to truly see someone means to see whether they are happy, or sad, to see if they are struggling with something, or to recognize when they are full of great joy and anticipation. To be seen by someone is to be known by someone, and I believe we all have that deep desire to be known.
Very early on in the start of quarantine, I was struggling with how do I do ministry without being able to “see” people. I relied upon gathering together, playing my own game of “I spy,” and approaching people with an understanding of how they are doing and how I could be present with them. With the separation, I thought that was no longer possible. During one of my times of self-pity and prayer, the Holy Spirit graced me with this message, “I don’t need you to be present with people in order to be able to see them and help them; I just need you to be present with me.” And there it was, the recognition that I had been relying upon my own understanding too much.
We don’t need to be able to see people face-to-face to make an impact on their lives. We just need to spend time with the Holy Spirit and be present with the work the Holy Spirit is doing. It’s like a game of I spy, but instead of, “with my two little eyes,” it’s with “my spiritual eyes.” Too often we depend upon what is right in front of us to make decisions, when the truth is that we know we are only working with limited information. The Holy Spirit sees all and knows all.
I spy with my Spiritual eyes, YOU! I wish I could be physically present with you. I wish I could see you face-to-face, but in the meantime, I want you to know that I see you. At least I am spending time with the Holy Spirit who sees you and knows you. With that time, I am praying for you and seeking ways to help you stay connected to the One who truly matters, to God. That is, after all, the work of the Holy Spirit, to always be pointing us back to God.
What have you seen with your Spiritual eyes today? As you seek the answer to that question, remember these words found in Proverbs 3:5-7, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own EYES; fear the Lord and shun evil.” Amen!
From One Light to Another,
Hannah Loughman
Photo by Bernard Spragg. NZ