“So look me in the eye and show kindness, give your servant the strength to go on, save your dear, dear child!” Psalm 86.16
Everywhere I turn I find and see pain and hope. A friend’s child fights leukemia with an attitude worthy of sainthood. Another friend fights the battle of addiction while holding onto the hope found only in the cross. The pain list is endless; feeling displaced in a new country without family, friends, and church; financial woes biting at every turn; depression haunting the view of the future and clouding the steps ahead; and lingering loneliness. The hope list is simple and direct, Jesus at Calvary. The only answer is in God and His mercy, love, and unconditional acceptance.
Watching the old WW-II film Midway, I realized an important insight in the short exchange between a sailor and his Japanese girlfriend. Until we hear the answer while seeing another’s eyes directly, we have difficulty accepting something we find hard to believe. The character in the film challenges the girl to look him in the eye. She does, her heart melts, and love flows.
The Psalmist demands that God look him in the eye while adding a request that I hear more as a plea. What will God say? How will God respond? Is He silent forever? Is He uncaring and unfeeling? I believe we all ask ourselves the same questions every day! We know but we are not sure. We understand but we carry doubts. We want to believe, but is it true?
Just like the movie there is only one way to know. Look to God and ask God to look you in the eye. The awesome fact is that God honors the true seeker. The answers may be all around us in ways we find unfair. Why does God help one child and not another? We can find hope in His strength to face each situation. We can find grace in His enduring presence. We can find peace in the process.
He loves you. Look Him in the eye and discover.
