“Lord, I want to see...” (Luke 18:41)
The other day I just had to get outside and walk around. So I went to a nearby botanical garden, hopeful that there would be some winter flowers in bloom. At one point, I walked down the trail that goes along the edge of the Cape Fear River. It was an area of the botanical garden property that had been completely submerged in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in September, 2018. Flood stage on the river is 35 feet. In September, the river crested at 61.4 feet, threatening the main area of the botanical garden. Everywhere along the trail I saw evidence of the flood – downed trees, debris that had washed up in the waters, muddy water marks on the trees way above me.
The trail was closed on one end, so I turned around and walked back the way I had come down. As I made my way back up, I noticed a beautiful carpet of new green growth coming from the saturated ground. I stopped to take a picture (because that’s what I do when I see something beautiful), and then continued the hike back to the main gardens. Later that day I posted several of my pictures on Facebook (again, because that’s what I do when I have captured something beautiful on my camera).
The next day I was reviewing the “Likes” I had gotten on my pictures (because – you guessed it – that’s what I do…), and I saw someone had “liked” the picture with the green growth. Now, from a photographer’s perspective, there really isn’t anything spectacular or notable about the picture – the lighting is not very good, and in general all the trees in the background make for a busy picture.
But when I was looking at this picture again, suddenly I saw something that I hadn’t seen before. I really don’t know why I hadn’t seen it – probably because I was in a hurry when I took the picture. But there it was, and now I can’t un-see it. It’s a cross, formed by a limb that was swept onto a dead tree.
It’s not a “perfect” cross, because the limb has an offshoot branch. But still, it is a cross. It is an unmistakable reminder of God’s goodness and love.
It got me to thinking: How many times every day do I fail to notice signs of God’s mercy and redemption? In my everyday busy-ness, am I so focused on getting from point A to point B, that I fail to see the beauty God gives me along the way?
In the Gospel According to Luke, a blind beggar calls out to Jesus. While some of the crowd with Jesus thinks the man is acting rudely and inappropriately, Jesus calls the blind man to him. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asks. The man replies very simply: “Lord, I want to see.” And then Jesus restores the sight of the blind man.
“Lord, I want to see.” What a beautiful prayer! Shouldn’t that petition be a regular part of our prayer repertoire? We know that blindness is not limited to a physical condition; indeed, all of us are blind to a myriad of things, either by choice or unintentionally.
I don’t want to miss the glory of God in the everyday things I encounter. Lord, I want to see.
I don’t want to fail to see the image of God in the person who comes to my office to talk about life. Lord, I want to see.
I don’t want to pass up an opportunity to help a person in need. Lord, I want to see.
Open my eyes, that I may see
glimpses of truth thou hast for me…
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit Divine!
Open the eyes of my heart, Lord.
I want to see you.
Let us pray:
Lord, I want to see. Amen.
