I lay with Josh in his bed snuggling before bedtime, looking into his eyes, a deep blue gray. His eyes are the most beautiful blue eyes and so big and round, especially when you give him something he likes- they just light up! I love to look into Josh’s eyes. On top of having great eyes, he has the most incredible laugh, one that is absolutely contagious, and the cutest sheepish grin.
I told Josh, that his Mimi wanted his eyes and he said, NO! I ask him if he knew why I couldn’t have his eyes and he responded, “Because I can’t pull them out.” I was actually thinking of something more profound, such as, “God made only one Josh with those incredible blue eyes, and those eyes are yours and yours alone.” But, then why was I even expecting profound from a 4 year old!
We were at the mall this last visit to Dallas, and as I walked around with our daughter and grandchildren that day I noticed one thing- heads! Most were in a downward position focused on some type of techie toy. They were busy and distracted! They weren’t looking where they were going or into the faces of anyone around them; their total attention only on the tech toy in their hand.
I’ve thought about that scene and wondered if anyone looks intently into anyone’s face anymore. Do we know the color of the eyes of our spouse, our child, our father, our mother, our grandmother, our neighbor or best friend? We no longer have long conversations with our neighbors seated on the porch each evening, we no longer go on vacation and truly get away, we no longer have uninterrupted family dinners, we no longer have quiet personal date nights with our mate, and we no longer have deep intimate conversations with those we love. Yet we are communicating technically, we are in touch with people everywhere, but to what expense!
When you think of the word relationship, what do you think of? The definition of relationship goes something like this, the state of being related or interrelated, an emotional attachment between individuals, a meaningful relationship.
I wonder just how interrelated and emotionally attached we can become communicating through technology rather than personally, one on one, person to person! Can we truly have a meaningful relationship with those we think we know just because we’ve emailed or text for months, yet we haven’t spent any valuable time with or looked into their eyes and gotten to know their heart and soul.
I believe that technology deceives us into thinking we have a relationship. Oh, we have an acquaintance, a person we have communicated with, but a true deep abiding heart to heart relationship – I don’t think so! We know a person when we spend intimate, personal, heart to heart time with them; when we look into their eyes and truly know the person behind the blue eyes.
I would not know Josh like I do apart from the nights I snuggled with him before bedtime, spoken with him long distance on the phone, sat on the couch and talked with him, bathed him, wrestled with him, played baseball and basketball with him, read a book to him, painted his daddy’s study and his baby sister’s room together, or ridden in the back seat crammed between his and his brother’s booster seats. We have a relationship because we’ve spent meaningful one-on-one time together and because we have, I have looked deeply into those blue eyes and know my grandson. What relationships are you missing because your head is always down communicating on your techie toy? What are the colors of the eyes of those closest to you? Look up! Don’t miss out on life with those you love. Are you replacing a meaningful deep intimate relationship with mere acquaintances and meaningless emailing and texting?
Father, I get so distracted with my phone and computer, I know I am missing out on relationships that you desire for me to have. Help me to lay them down and look up. Help me to see those who are hurting, those who are needy, and those who are in great need of a word of encouragement, a hug or a kiss. Help me to look deeply into the eyes of those around me and know them intimately.
“It came about when they had come into Samaria, that Elisha said, “O Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” So the Lord opened their eyes and they saw; and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.” 2 Kings 6:20
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.” Leviticus 19:18
dianne