Give me your eyes

People watching is a pastime for many. Sitting in a mall, on a park bench, at the airport...wherever your people watching place of choice is. I too have enjoyed my fair share of people watching in my life. 

However, I have realized that when I walk or ride a tram or wait for a tram, I don't look at people. I don't want them to think I'm looking at them- so I look at the stores, I look at the buildings, the sky, anything from making eye contact. What if someone is looking back at me? How many times have I been the object of someone else's people watching?

I had a few extra minutes at a tram stop yesterday and I decided to look at the people. Looks at their eyes even if I felt awkward. I observed their clothes, the pace in which they walked, were they reading or listening to music, how many bags were they holding, what color was their hair, their glasses, their smile or lack of one, their shoes...and I started to think of all the differences, and the stories. I wanted to know their stories. Why are you in a hurry? Why are you carrying huge hiking back packs and looked like it's been awhile since you had a shave? Where are you coming from? Who are you going home to? Are you talking to someone on the phone you haven't heard from in awhile? Or is it the person you call everyday at this time?

I wanted to know, yet not enough to ask. If I'm honest,that seemed like a lot of work. To ask, to care, to engage. But that's a conversation for another time.

So many sizes, shapes, lives, experiences, backgrounds, hurts, pains, joys...

Who does God see when He looks at them?

Who does God see when He looks at me?

Give me your eyes. It's been my prayer this last week. I want to see the world, the people I encounter, my actions, my life and who I am through HIS eyes. 

And one thing I do know, God wouldn't look down. He wouldn't avert His eyes or avoid the awkward. He would embrace, engage, love, listen, dig in. 

And so I choose to not look down. No matter how awkward or how unnatural it feels for me. 

Who knows, maybe I will get the courage to even have a conversation with someone in the masses.