Housecleaning is NOT my superpower. Actually, it’s kinda my nemesis. I think my dirty dishes multiply when I’m not looking, and I have yet to solve the mystery behind the frequent disappearances of hubby’s socks.
So yeah…cleaning isn’t my forte.
That being said, I was vacuuming the other day, moving the table and chairs, using the various attachments to annihilate the collection of fuzz in the corners and crevices. I was actually in…cleaning mode. It was then, I started seeing things. Things like the faint syrupy trickle of juice on the fridge door, the small green clump of play-doh plastered to the side of the cabinet, and the brown smudge of who-knows-what dried in an amoeba-shape on one of the tiles. I’ve probably walked into the kitchen twenty times before my vacuuming mission. Maybe more. And I didn’t notice any of it. Really. It wasn’t until I endeavored to “see” that I was able to spot it and take care of it.
I was looking, but not seeing.
This got me thinking. What else am I missing out on by not truly seeing? Am I “glancing” my way through life, not spotting the needs around me?
Busyness consumes us, devouring our day. We’re here and there, doing this and that. Life makes its demands on us. But are we seeing the needs surrounding us? Are we too “in a hurry” that we miss an opportunity to give a word of encouragement to the downcast? Rushing through the moment that we neglect the one who might need prayer? Wonderful doors are opened for us to show God’s love, but sometimes they’re hard to spot. We need to take the time and see.
So friend, I encourage you today to pause. Stop long enough to be certain you aren’t just looking, but seeing. Be God’s ambassador today, meeting the needs of His precious creation.