Eyes Wide Open

  

Sometimes we have our eyes wide open but do not really see around us. If we have our minds elsewhere we can miss the first signs of autumn, the person coming down the hall, the new flower in the garden, or the loneliness in another's face. We are not really present to our surroundings at least half the time.

This is one of my inadequacies. I am often unaware and appreciate others calling my attention to things I miss. It's worse when I miss seeing people. Sometimes I'm thinking about an idea to write about or a task I need to do, but that's not a good excuse. I remember a sister in my community who always had a smile and greeting for anyone she passed, making them feel acknowledged and important.

It really doesn't take much time to notice and greet someone. We might not remember their name, but we know their face. If we really believe Christ is present in each person, how can we pass them by? Whether we work in an office, a store, a hospital, or a school, we encounter people. Even if we are retired we meet people in a senior citizen center, our neighborhood, or a doctor's office.

It takes going out of ourselves to see others. Matthew 13 reminds us of Jesus' words: "For this people's heart has become calloused, they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes."I have to remind myself of those words as I visit our care center where many elderly sisters live. When I volunteer at the food pantry, I try to see the poor Christ in those who come for help.

May we keep our eyes wide open to embrace those God sends into our lives and to notice the beauty around us.