Wednesday, January 2, 2008
It always seemed to happen the same way. My mother would send me to get something. I would search and search for whatever it was. And finally she would arrive, exasperated, and immediately pick up the object I couldn’t find. Then she would say, “If it had been a snake, it would have bitten you.”
I could never understand why she could see things that I could not, or how I could look right at something and not see it. But perhaps I couldn’t see it because my eyes were so easily drawn to other things. My wife has learned this. Sent to get something from our home office, my eyes will fall on an interesting book title and I’ll be found a half hour later standing with the book in my hand. Working together on sorting through old papers, I’ll be caught reading all the cards and letters.
How could so many people miss the Savior when they had waited so long for His coming? Only Simeon and Anna recognized Jesus for who He was. But so many other people must have looked at him, complimented His parents on their fine healthy boy, but not seen God’s gift.
Anna was different because Anna was looking. Her attention was not drawn away by all the other things around her. She had ears only for God’s Word, and eyes only for God’s gifts. She worshiped day and night in the Temple because she knew where her true blessings were to be found. And there she found Jesus.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You for many things. Your world is filled with wonders. But give me eyes to see the essential thing, the one gift I need, my Savior. In His name I pray. Amen.
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