A Little Wisdom from Mama Duggar

I genuinely admire, respect and love the Duggar family.  I have never had the pleasure of meeting them, but every once in a while they grace my TV screen.  Although we live out our faith in Christ somewhat differently on a day to day basis, the faith of their family inspires me.  Especially that of Mrs. Duggar.

I caught an episode the other morning, and I just wanted to share a word Michelle imparted to a women's Bible study group on the show.

She talked about what character traits she thought were most important to teach her kids as they were growing up.  She had a huge list, but asked the women in the group to identify a few which they thought would be the most important.

The women shouted out answers, like "self control," and "kindness."  Those did fall in Michelle's top few.  However, there was one that I didn't necessarily expect fell into her top three: attentiveness.

Now, attentiveness is a great quality!  If we had more attentive drivers on the road, we would probably have fewer fender benders.  If we were more attentive with our technology, we probably wouldn't let autocorrect get the best of us so often.

But Michelle put it like this on her blog: "It's important that when I call their names [in reference to her children], I get their eyes and have their attention...Because if I don't get their eyes, I don't have their heart."

Spiritually, we often talk about a connection between our eyes and our hearts.  Psalm 121:1 says "I lift my eyes to the mountains -- where does my help come from."  We look with our eyes, but we are also searching with our hearts.  Paul writes in Ephesians 1:18 "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people."

When we give God our attention, when we look unto Him with our eyes, we are also able to lift up our hearts.  God desires our full attention.  He calls us to be on the lookout for ways we can share His grace with others, and to find the places where His light, His word, and His hope are needed most.  

Mrs. Duggar's words bring me back to one of my favorite hymns which goes:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace

May we all choose to turn our eyes and our hearts to the One who created them, and the One who provides the light by which we see.

Amen.

~SP