Blind Spots...

I have been driving for some 16 years now (Wow I am getting old) and I still remember drivers education. Do you? I remember them showing movies about car wrecks to try to scare you into wearing your seat belt and they story a cop told about a drunk driver killing a family on a early Sunday morning. He showed pictures of the family and the street where it happened and then he said it could happen to anyone, because that family was my family. I remember the shock I felt.

I bring this up because they also talk a lot about your blind spots. They pound in your head this idea of always checking your mirrors and glancing over your shoulder before you switch lanes to check your blind spots.

Blind spots are areas you can't see, hence the "blind" part of the title. Oh by the way... I wear my seat belt... Anyway they are called "blind" for that very reason, because we can't see them.

The best part about this is it applies to all areas of our life. I mean everywhere! At work you have blind spots, these areas you aren't any good at, or areas you think you do well but the reality is your not. You don't notice or see it because it is a blind spot.

In your relationships as well. You most likely have blind spots that could be anything from an annoying habit, a certain look you always give, a way you react to people, the language you use, etc. We all have blind spots in our personalities. Yes all of us!

We all have areas that we need to grow in, areas that others can see in but we can't. Again "Blind Spots". Well the Bible tells this story about a man who has been blind his whole life and Jesus comes along and heals him, now the people who have known this man to be blind his whole life start asking him questions and some doubt and the man says "Once I was Blind, but now I can see". I use to think this was just physically and spiritually. I mean he physically was blind, but now he can see and spiritually he was blind to the Love of Christ, but now he can see. But I have been thinking about this a lot and I no longer think that.

I now think this applies to our lives much more than we think. I mean think of all the blind spots you have had that you no longer have. I know for me I use to say A or um when I would give a speech or talk in front of people and it wasn't until someone pointed it out, because I couldn't see it, was I able to start recognizing it and shed light to that issue. That was an area that I can say "once I was blind, but now I can see". Another Blind Spot use to be eye contact. I would never make eye contact with someone I would meet for the first time and once that was pointed out to me it no longer was a blind spot.

What about you? Can you recognize where your Blind Spots are? Do you have someone in your life that can point them out in a constructive way? Is there someone who can bring light in those areas and walk with you as you learn to see? I believe we will have blind spots because we aren't perfect, if we ever get to the point where we find ourselves saying "I can see fine" then we are in trouble. We need to people in our lives that can help us with our Blind Spots.

Once I was blind, but now I can see.... Once I was blind to____, but now I can see.... Fill in the blank.... Over and over... Once I was blind, but now I can see....

May you come to find your blind spots, may you find people in your life that can usher in light so that we can continually be transformed into the image of Christ. If you need to start with the Spiritual aspect of Jesus as your savior than may you find the door that Christ is knocking at so that He can give you sight to see how much He loves you... Amen.

Lost...

Have you ever been lost? I mean truly lost... I don't know about you but often times when I start heading the wrong direction it's like something inside me is saying "where are you going". But since I am a man I keep going... I wonder what it is about us as men that are so afraid to stop and ask for directions?

Well recently I lost my keys... Yeah all of them and the key less entry control to my car. The funny thing is I had that same little voice...

See I had a friends car and I picked up my key as well and that little voice said "just leave them you don't need them". Well I took them anyway and I lost them. It isn't a real big deal honestly, but it bothers me. I hate the feeling of losing something. I am bothered by the idea that something that is pretty valuable, when you think about it, I lost them. I hate it when I have to say "I lost my keys". Sounds pretty stupid, at least when I say it.... lol.

Well there are three stories in the Bible about Lost things. The story of the lost coin, the lost sheep and the lost Son. They have this idea that something valuable is lost and the owner of the Father will do anything to find it or him. Well I can relate... I walked the ground where I thought my keys might be, I had my friend check his car and I keep looking on the counter where I last saw them. I still have this feeling inside that is hard to put into words, it's like a part of me is missing. It's weird... I am they are just keys!

I can't shake this idea of "the lost". I mean the Bible calls people who aren't followers of Jesus "lost". Lost! I could go on about this idea of what "lost" means Biblically, but we don't really have the time and space... So that being said....

Lost! We don't know where we are headed or where we are going. Lost!

I am not comparing my feeling of my lost keys to God's feeling of lost people, but I am using it as an illustration. I mean if my thoughts continually go back to my keys, then how often does God think about the lost? I didn't make the keys or love my keys... But God created us! God made us in HIS image. God loves us deeply.... I can't even imagine how HE feels. I can't fathom the heart ache HE had for those that don't realize how loved they are, by the one who know what your capable of...

God I pray that I find my keys... Just like I pray that you continually find the lost, God help us all who call you Father bring people closer to You one step at a time. God thank you for using us in spite of us not because of us.... Amen.