Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Blind SPOTs

And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, "Let me remove the speck from your eye"; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. --Matt 7:3-5

They are so easy to see, aren't they? Other people's sin's I mean. I scratch my head and say to myself, "Can't they SEE that?" But they cannot. It's a blind spot. I may even try to tell them, point it out to them, explain it seven different ways. Lately I don't even bother. Because it is a blind spot and they cannot see.

And then, I get this chill. I have them too, blind spots. And I can't see them either. I worry about that. I ask friends to be honest, but they love me and sometimes in a effort to be kind, or maybe from exhaustion, they just don't say it. What needs to be said. What I need to hear. To see, but cannot see.

There are two good ways to see my blind spots, though. One is to listen to my daughters. Daughters are the gift God gives us to remove all blind spots, if we can swallow our pride and hear them. My daughters know me so well. They know all the spots and are "fresh meat" so to speak. I have learned to try to swallow hard and listen to them, even when they are rude and it hurts.

Another is when you have this disagreement thing. I find myself disagreeing with what someone else is thinking or doing. I have begun to ask this important questions: Is is me, Lord? Maybe it not them. Maybe they are right--or at least right-er. Maybe they have another perspective that is valid. Maybe they are not wrong, just different. Maybe I don't know all the facts. Maybe I have a part in the problem. Maybe the bulk of the problem is not them--maybe, just maybe, it is me.

Pride. It is the smoke that hides our blind spots.

Father, help me. I ask that I may receive sight, insight and healing for my blind spots!

So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road. -- Mark 10:51-52