Fix Your Eyes

Note from Amy: Because I accidentally scheduled over Melanie’s excellent post, we’re resending it this week to make sure no one misses it. We love you all!

Like so many of us at the beginning of the quarantine, I was sad and worried about the possibilities of sickness and death. I also grieved smaller losses, canceled travel, and derailed celebrations. The unknown weighed on me. My mind was scattered and uncreative.

Then I felt this compulsion to — plant something.

Kinda weird, as I’m not a gardener. But the thought wouldn’t go away. So I got two pink tulip plants—only two because I tend to forget plants need water, and pink because it’s my favorite color.

Just bulbs when I planted them, they bloomed this week. Planted beyond my office window, I can see them from my desk while working.

When I look at the blooming tulips, I feel full of hope and cheer. That weird little prompting seems to have been the Holy Spirit telling me just what I need: My mind and heart need visible signs of God’s goodness right now.

The Lord can be so practical. In the spiritual realm I need to fix my eyes on prayer, the Word, but the Spirit knows I also need a visual reminder of Him, pink tulips.

Fixing our eyes on Him doesn’t change our circumstances, but it does change how we look at our circumstances.

I had been too consumed with reading FB and Instagram posts about the virus. Fretting about my friends and loved ones more than I had been praying. Watching TV, eating sweets, not exercising.

No wonder I was feeling down!

My eyes were fixed on the wrong things.

Here are several verses reminding us where to fix our eyes.

Hebrews 12:2, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

2 Chronicles 20:12, “… For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.”

Proverbs 4:25, “Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.” (also read a few verses before and after this one)

Philippians 4:8: “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

As I’ve been more purposeful about where I fix my eyes, I’m finding that God is planting in me more hope, delight, thankfulness, and creativity.

Amy and I have been praying for you during this time. This week we’re praying that you will fix your eyes on Jesus, who loves you immensely, and fix your eyes on a physical reminder of His goodness. If you have a verse and/or visible reminder helping you during this time, we’d love to hear!

~ Melanie