Bright Eyes — Fading Eyes

So be careful not to let the light in you become darkness. (Luke 11:35)

A while back we spent a long weekend with our daughter Emily and her family.  Patty, Emily and I, along with 9 month old Alexander, slipped away to a coffee shop for a much needed and delicious crafted shot of caffeine.

While holding Alexander in a way that he was facing me, I was struck by his large, beautiful and very bright eyes. His eyes radiated joy, trust and a sparkle of innocence, joined by just the right touch of mischievousness.  His eyes were bright with life!  My grandfather’s heart bonded all the more to our 3^rd grand-treasure.

At some point I glanced at a table near ours.  Seated at the table was a handsome older couple, dressed a step above the rest of the coffee shop patrons.  The husband was very attentive to his bride of no-doubt many years.  But then I noticed her eyes.  There was a dullness, a slight vacancy telegraphing a detachment from being fully present in the moment.  In a short time it became evident that this lovely woman was suffering from dementia.  The brightness of her eyes was fading.  Her life was slowly shrinking and diminishing.

So there I was, juxtaposed between the bright eyes of Alexander and the fading eyes of a noble man’s wife.  It was a beautiful yet jagged-edged metaphor of the mystery of our journey through life.  We are all living somewhere between bright-eyed wonder and fading final moments.

So, on our journey how do we keep the light from becoming darkness as the verse above admonishes?  Throughout the all the blind curves and the unpredictability of life we have One who does not change.  Yet, in His love and wisdom He simply, yet profoundly leaves many choices to us to fire the light within.

We get to choose:

Surrender instead of Control

Forgiveness instead of Bitterness

Gratitude instead of Entitlement

Truth instead of Deception

Faith instead of Fear

Love instead of Apathy

Freedom instead of Bondage

Hope instead of Pessimism

Risk instead of Lethargy

Self-Responsibility instead of Blame

Grace instead of Judgement

Transparency instead of Hiddenness

Who He says we are instead of other Voices wanting to do the same

Compassion instead of Anger

Jesus instead of the World System

Light instead of Darkness