eyes

What do you see?

/ landoncollard / 2 Comments

screens

Have you ever really considered how you see the world? Why do you notice certain things and completely miss others? Why are you offended by some people and easily accept others by default? What causes your heart to leap in celebration? What moves you to tears? And why are these things different from some of the people around you?

It’s unbelievable how conditioned we are as people. The places we live, the parents we have, the teaching we receive and the experiences of our lives shape us deeply – often far beyond what we realize. These influences in our lives work to shape our reality. Our perception of the way things are and the way things ought to be.

What is amazing is how much of this happens below the surface. Beneath our awareness. It’s so easy to allow ourselves to simply drift through day-to-day, absorbing the ideas and values of our encounters and our culture.

But, what if we live aware, with our eyes wide open? What if we ask authentic questions about why things are the way they are? And what if we turn this vision on ourselves? To our own hearts? What would we find at the core? What have we allowed to become our center? To drive our hearts and our pursuits? What will we find there?

As a Jesus Follower, this has become a huge issue for me. You see, I want to really see! I want to experience the world with awareness and intentionality. I want to encounter people with the eyes of my God. To see them with the love and compassion he has for them. To ache for a world that is broken and to be moved to joy when they find life as it should be.

This kind of vision doesn’t come easily. It takes practice. It requires pursuing the heart of God that we find in Jesus. And it demands that when we find him, we stop and listen deeply. Authentically. Humbly. And invite him to uproot what we have known and who we have become. We will have to be honest with ourselves, often seeing our own lives and pursuits differently. It will change everything.

No, it’s not easy but wow…the indescribable beauty that is revealed when we have eyes that see!

Advertisement

Reckless Pursuit: Ch. 5 – I’m Confused

/ landoncollard / Leave a comment

IMG_1087

Do you ever feel like there are multiple versions of you and some of them just aren’t that good? You ever wish you could push the reset button and try that last interaction again?

I know for me, this feeling happens way more often than I’d like. If you are like me and find yourself here more than you’d like, take some solace in the fact that we are in good company. God’s people throughout the biblical narrative find themselves in this spot over and over. Yes, even our heroes. Even the spiritual giants. Even people like Noah reacted thoughtlessly out of anger and I can’t but read his story and wonder how things could have turned out differently had he been more controlled. More in tune with God’s heart.

The following is a snapshot excerpt of the upcoming book…

Reckless Pursuit: God’s Story of Relentless Love – Chapter 5: I’m Confused

       Unfortunately, too often I find traces of Noah’s face on my own. My eyes narrow in. My teeth clench. And my cheeks get flushed. I lash out at my children in a moment of weakness and frustration, immediately regretting my actions.

       But other times, I am the complete opposite. I am inappropriately passive. I excuse behavior that should be immediately addressed. I dismiss actions of selfishness and disrespect instead of naming them and diverting them from being planted into the long-term character of my children.

       When I step back and gain some perspective, I long to model myself after our Father, not our ancestors. I want to parent with his boldness, conviction and his passionate pursuit of the hearts of his children. Yahweh loves his children so much that he is willing to do whatever is necessary to get their attention, even if that means intentionally creating utter confusion among them.

Reckless Pursuit is currently being prepared for publishing. It will be made available to the public early this fall. Keep coming back here for more updates and teasers.

reckless_pursuit_book_cover