How To Improve Your Sight with a Simple Prayer

I was meandering through the grocery store on an ordinary Monday morning when a notification on my phone reminded me of an upcoming meeting.

My mind lunged from the price of tomatoes to the meeting’s agenda, and my pace shifted from a stroll to a race.
No more admiring the palette of vibrant colors in the vegetable display.
No more pondering which brand of tortillas was healthiest or calculating which coupon would save me the most.

I turned the corner of the cereal aisle, tossed a box of Cheerios into my cart and hurried past a shopper who was studying the nutritional label on a bag of granola.

Then, with one eye on the time and another on my list, I hustled to the dairy department to secure the last few things I needed.

Milk ✔
Butter ✔
Mozzarella cheese. ✔

I chose the shortest checkout line and searched my email for the meeting’s agenda as I waited for the cashier to bag my groceries. My feet were still planted in the grocery store, but my mind had already fast-forwarded to the project I’d soon be pitching.

I flashed a grateful smile to the cashier and uttered a hasty thank-you before I scurried out the door and steered my shopping cart through the parking lot.

I was piling my groceries into the trunk when a text from a dear friend arrived with a quiet ring.
There were no words, just a picture.
Perplexed, I peered at the image on the screen.

The person in the photo was wearing my pink stocking cap. My black jacket. My green shoulder bag. Her grocery cart was filled with pantry staples piled high with milk, butter, mozzarella cheese and a bright yellow box of Cheerios teetering on top. The person in the picture was… me.

As if on cue, my phone rang. “Good news! The invisibility potion I drank this morning works,” my friend declared with a giggle.

“Who took the picture you just sent me?” I asked, still confused.

“I did,” she said. “Right after you walked by me in the cereal aisle.”

Embarrassed, I realized that in my haste, I’d passed right by one of my closest friends without even noticing her. My friend accepted my apology with a good-hearted giggle. But as I climbed into the driver’s seat, I felt more culpable than amused

What else do I miss when I’m in a hurry? I wondered as I left the parking lot behind me and headed home.

I wasn’t expecting a response to my musing.
But, immediately, my stomach lurched with conviction, and I felt as if God gently whispered: You miss Me, too.

A quiet sadness welled in my soul, and for the second time that morning, a sincere apology spilled from my lips, followed by this simple plea: “Lord, help me to see you!“

It’s jaw-dropping when you think about it! Our eternal God who’s not bound by space or time is willing to inhabit our miniscule moments.

He’s willing to meet us in our coming and our going, our striving and our stumbling; in our confusion and our boredom, our wishing and our wondering.

And Scripture assures us we will spot Him if we seek Him.

“If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me” (Jeremiah 29:13, NLT)

Of course, the Hebrew word used here for “look” doesn’t refer to a hurried hunt or a flippant glance, rather, it implies a resolute pursuit.

It carries the idea of both attention and intention, like a beach-goer carefully combing the sand for seashells or a hiker willfully treading over the same footpath again and again.

Perhaps we move through our days heedless to the Holy in our midst because this kind of “looking” is difficult to practice when we’re in a rush.

Hurry doesn’t just adjust our feet; it alters our vision.

Haste isn’t merely draining; it’s distracting.

Hurry keeps me from fully engaging in the present moment because my mind is already fixed on the next one. And while I’m peering at what’s up ahead; I’m prone to miss what’s right in front of me…

Like the smile of a friend at the grocery store or the beauty of a sun-streaked horizon; the ache in a neighbor’s eyes, or the presence of a with-me God.

Of course, hurry can haunt us in many ways.

It may not be your time that’s ravished by rush, but your prayers. Perhaps it’s not your days that are laced with haste, but your decisions.

The speed of your feet can dim your vision, but the spin of your mind can, too. Sometimes it’s not your cadence that drives the frenzy, but your qualms.

You may not be running to something; you may be running from it.

And, whether we realize it or not, in the flurry of our worry, we can easily miss the One who stands by with peace.

There’s no magic formula for spotting the Lord in your midst. But it begins with a decision to look.

So, let’s live wide-eyed today, dear friends.

Let’s pay attention to the life that’s unfolding here and now. Let’s stop looking through the moments and start living in them.

Let’s ask the Lord to help us see Him. And then, tomorrow, let’s wake up and request the same thing again.

Because the God who never takes His eyes off you (Proverbs 15:3) wants you to see Him, too.

“Keep your eyes open for God, watch for his works; be alert for signs of his presence. Remember the world of wonders he has made, his miracles, and the verdicts he’s rendered— O seed of Abraham, his servant, O child of Jacob, his chosen.” Psalm 105:4-6 (The Message)

Thanks for spending time here today. If you’d like to linger and chat, let us know in the comments what keeps you from looking for Jesus and how we can pray for you. Also, if you could use some tips for resisting the rush, be sure to grab a copy of this free download, “10 ways to slow down.”

Finally, if you’re looking for a resource to help you be more intentional about connecting with Jesus, I wrote a 30-day digital devotion just for you. You can find Encounter here.

May you seek Him and find Him today!