Seeing with our Hearts
“… the LORD has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God. Micah 6:8 (Good News Translation)
“Can I help you with your cart?,” he asked, his dark brown eyes meeting mine amidst the hectic pace of the grocery store parking lot. It sounds like such a simple offer, but to a Mom raising a child with specialized health needs, it’s a life line. Since our daughter is beyond toddler years, it’s assumed you’re able to move in and out of stores without assistance. But when your child is deals with hyperactivity, everything becomes a distraction; they can bolt away from you in an instant, driven by seemingly endless curiosity. Before you know it, you’re met with judgmental stares and raised eyebrows.
But last Saturday, this one question had made all difference, opening a window to empathy and much needed support. As he walked beside us on our way to the car, I shared gratitude through near tears; “it’s OK, I know how it is, he said, “I understand,” his voice holding both calm and comfort.
It could have become another chaotic grocery store run, but Divine grace changed everything, moving us from isolation into beloved community. Is this not the posture God calls us towards each day: embrace a different kind of sight, one nurtured within the heart that requires us to step beyond comfort zones, and come into “being with”… bearing witness to others lived experiences, seeing their wounds with our hearts, and being willing ask: How may I help?
Friends, allow yourself to sit with what it means to embody this as a daily spiritual practice:
“… the LORD has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God. Micah 6:8 (Good News Translation).
Open yourself to transcending the systems and ideologies of this world, and delve into the heart of Christ consciousness. As Father Thomas Keating wrote in The Daily Reader for Contemplative Living: “God who we know by faith is within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking…”
How will God’s radical love come alive within your heart today? Who can you serve?
Our Prayer:
Holy one, help us not to allow the busyness of our lives to distract us from the spiritual practices of mercy, kindness, justice and revolutionary love. May we see with the heart as your spirit guides us, day by day. Help us to witness your face in all the faces surrounding us. Each day bring us to the challenge and question: how may I pray with my feet?