Being Faithful: Open My Eyes

As the sun was setting in the west, Alice and I were driving into the heavy traffic going into Myrtle Beach.  I was looking forward to the weekend with all the ladies from our office.  Bonnie was retiring and we all were treating her to a weekend celebration at the beach.  Alice looked at the miles and miles of cars going in all directions and said, “I wonder how many lost souls are out there.”  Those words touched me in the deepest depths of my heart.  Looking at all the cars representing thousands of people, I did not know how to answer.  How many different problems were being faced by each person out there and did they know the Lord?  What could we do about it?  In silence, we continued our drive into Myrtle Beach with no answer but knowing there were troubled hearts and lost souls all around.

A few years earlier, I had a difficult co-worker.   Since we worked in the computer room of a bank, the door had to stay closed and locked.  I was locked in a cold room with this lady every day.  She was rude and as bitter cold as the room we shared.  She treated me like I had done something awful to her.  I was assured by a few ladies in the loan department that she treated them the same way.   These words did not help as I was the one in the cold computer room alone with this lady, and it was for hours.  I had always gotten along with my co-workers and had not had problems before.  So, I let it get to me.  You see, it was about me.  It was, “she did this to me” or “she said this to me.”  Then, during my Bible study and prayer, I realized that it wasn’t about me.  I put this troublesome lady at the top of my prayer list.  At work, I would say encouraging words and compliment her no matter how indifferent she was.  Instead of ignoring her or acting irritated, I reached out to her.  Finally, one day she opened up to me, I listened, and we prayed.   I learned that she was difficult because she had a broken heart, and my prayer became, “Lord, open my eyes and let me see people as you see them.”

Now, looking back to that beautiful day as the sun was setting over Myrtle Beach, I did say a prayer for all those travelers going toward the beach.  I knew that day that it was not about me but what I could do to help others to know the love and peace of God.  I’m not perfect and I still pray for God to open my eyes to the needs of others.  I know as I go to work today there will be those with loved ones dealing with health problems, broken marriages, handicapped children, financial problems, or the loss of a loved one.  So, I will pray for each of them.  As I travel through life, I will continue to ask God to open my eyes and help me to see people as He sees them.

Psalms 119:18 “Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from your law.”