What do you want?

"A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart." -- Proverbs 21:2

Do you know what you want? I mean, do you really know what you want from life? We want to be happy, don't we? But do we really know WHY we want to be happy or WHAT would make us happy ? We are always searching for things to make us happy, and we never seem to find it, so we obviously don't have a clue. We think we find things that make us happy...marrying the person of our dreams...kids...good jobs...fun times with friends...traveling to new exciting places...we are always searching for something to make us happier. We think we know ourselves so well that the way we live our lives is just right for us. We don't want the government telling us what to do or how to live. We don't want our parents telling us what to do when we are children or when we are grown adults either. We have problems with authority and feel like "management" is always out to get us and we know we could do a better job than they do. If everyone would just do things MY way, then EVERYONE would be happier, right?

The problem is, we really DON'T know! We are always searching, because we don't know what we are looking for. We know it's out there somewhere, but we don't know what IT is! We are blinded by our our ambitition to be happy. I say blinded because it is right in front of us, but we can't see it. We think we know what we want, we think we know what to do in our lives to get it and we live our lives in a way that is always trying to get it. BUT...God DOES see it and he knows our heart. God weighs our heart. He sees the IT that we can't see. When we open our hearts to the power of God, he opens our eyes to the IT as well.

Jesus is famous for making the blind see. In Matthew 20:29-34, Jesus has an encounter with two blind men sitting on the side of the road. Apparently, they knew that this man has healed the blind before and they ask for his mercy on them. Jesus stopped and asked them, "What do you want me to do for you." They answered, "We want our sight." Jesus had compassion on them, touched their eyes. Immediately, they received their sight and followed him.

What do you want? Their basic need was to be able to see. If they could see, then they wouldn't need to be begging on the side of the road. What do you want? I want to see! I want my eyes to be opened so I can see the world through God's eyes and not my own. I want to see beauty in the ugly. I want to see that by seeing the world in this way, I CAN be happy! If I see everything in my life through God's eyes, seeing blessings in the tragedies, seeing opportunities in the challenges, seeing peace in the chaos. I don't want to be begging on the side of the road any more! I want to see! When you ask for sight, it will be granted to you. Maybe not exactly how you thought it would come, but you will see! God loves us enough not to give us lesser things.

But, do you think God allows us to see for a while and we are happy in the moment, and then because of our own apathy, our sight grows dim and we lose sight again of the IT that will make us happy?

If you have ever had to get new glasses, you have experienced how bright and clear things appear after you put on those new glasses for the first time. It's almost hard to walk because you had gotten used to things being fuzzy...that was your "normal." When your focus was restored, your "normal" was made better and clearer and things seem very strange at first.

When my sight grows dim, when things around me get fuzzy, I notice it. At that moment, I have a choice. I know going to the eye doctor will help me to see clearer again, so I need to make an appointment. But, time is short, money is tight, and I put it off. I get used to things being fuzzy. It depends on how strong my desire is to see clear again. If my desire is strong enough, I make that appointment and get new glasses. The eye doctor doesn't come to me, I have to go to him. God is like the eye doctor...he knows what my eyes need to see clear, and if I go to him for adjustments, he well help me see again!

What do I want? I want to see! I want to be happy! God weighs my heart. He knows what I need and what will make me happy. He asks, "What do you want me to do for you?" I answer, I want to see! But, learning from the blind men Jesus made see...when they recieved their sight...they followed him! Perhaps THAT is the IT we are looking for!!!