There’s this great commercial (well, it hasn’t aired in a really long time) that advertises ketchup. It shows different people who have opened the ketchup bottle, and are waiting for it to come out and cover their hot dog or fries, trying to visually convince the viewer that this ketchup is thick and rich and s-l-o-w. And it plays the song "Anticipation" by Carly Simon. The lyrics are something like this:Anticipation, anticipation
Is making me late,
Keeping me waiting...
Of course, that’s for slow-moving ketchup in the commercial, because for me, the wait is finally over! Finally, the beginning of our 40-Day Journey Toward a Life of Compassion is here. And it begins with prayer. It begins with us praying for open eyes.
There are several songs I love that have this same message--this same prayer. There’s the one that says, "Open the eyes of my heart, Lord, open the eyes of my heart. I want to see you. I want to see you." There’s another one that says, "Open our eyes, Lord. We want to see Jesus, to reach out and touch Him, and say that we love Him."
For me, eyes and ears go together. If you have ever worn glasses, have you noticed that when you aren’t wearing your glasses, you don’t hear as well, either? I’ve always said it’s because I can’t see to hear. Praying for open eyes to see what God wants me to see means I open my ears to what He wants me to hear, as well. There are several places in the Bible that say things like, "he who has ears, let him hear." What I’ve come to realize is that when you open yourself to be led by God and by the Holy Spirit, you become aware of things in different – more meaningful – ways.
It is my prayer for this journey that I will be open to that leading. It is my prayer that my eyes and my ears will be open to seeing and hearing those who are in need and who need compassion. I looked up "compassion" online and Wikipedia says, "Compassion is the human emotion prompted by the pain of others. More vigorous than empathy, the feeling commonly gives rise to an active desire to alleviate another's suffering." Interestingly enough, "compassion is considered in all the major religious traditions as among the greatest virtues." Sometimes I’ve confused compassion with pity, I think. The major difference, to my mind, has to do with action.
I’m praying for eyes to see (and ears to hear) those who are in need and to respond with true compassion. I’m praying that for myself--and I’m praying it for you, too.
- Sheree Yasko Hill
"We have lift off!" I can remember the anticipation I felt as a kid growing up in the Apollo mission days. I couldn’t wait to hear the final countdown and see those massive rocket engines come to life! And then came those famous words, "We have lift off."I have been anticipating this 40-Day Journey for months and I am so excited that it's finally here. In today's message in our 40-Day Journey Prayer & Fasting Guide, Bill Bright challenges us to deal with our sin through reflection and confession. Although this is not meant to be a journey toward shame and condemnation, it should be a sober consideration of the holiness of God, the heart-wrenching sacrifice of His Only Son on the cross for our sins, and the careless rationalization I often make in my mind toward the "little" or "justifiable" sins in my life.
I started this day in confession with Susan about some specific sins in my life. Then we discussed how those sins "drift" in, and what changes I will be making to drive them out and live more intentionally for God. As we pray today for open eyes, I guess I needed to wipe the spiritual "sleepys" away and take a clearer look at my soul. I am starting with thanking God for creating me, guiding me, loving me, saving me, indwelling me, and promising me an eternal life in heaven.
With you on the Journey!
- Don McLaughlin
