The traditional five senses are sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. I am blessed to
have all of these senses functioning properly but I had the opportunity last weekend to take one of them away.
have all of these senses functioning properly but I had the opportunity last weekend to take one of them away. Dialog in the Dark opened my eyes to a new way of “seeing.” It is a tour led by someone who is visually impaired and we went through a series of darkened galleries created to replicate everyday experiences.
The tour guide said something that I think will stick with me forever. He said, “I think all of you have been blinded by your sight.” Take a minute and figure out what that means to you. To me, that means that I rush through life without taking the time to hear, touch, smell or taste. My sense of sight has overruled the other four so easily. There are times when I walk into a bakery and love the smell of fresh bread, or I am at a crowded mall and hear a song I like playing in a store. But for the most part, I go through life missing the little things.
My prayer for this year is that I wake up everyday, thankful, and willing to use all of my senses. I will be in different countries, experiencing different cultures, food, ministries, people. I want to take advantage of that. I don’t want to be so caught up in the “work” that I forget about the man who looks lonely waiting for the bus; that I walk by the woman who is trying to cover up her tears in the grocery store; that I don’t even notice the little child on the playground who hasn’t been hugged before.
And I have good news. Yes, I’m the one going to all these different countries where people are hurting and broken. But you are not off the hook…I guarantee there are those same people where you live. They work with you, go to school with you, live next to you, and I’m willing to bet they are all over your church congregation (no matter how happy they appear or how nicely they are dressed). So I encourage you to take time to engage your senses. Don’t rush through life. Listen to someone’s story, give away a few hugs, take the co-worker who gets on everyone’s nerves to lunch. You won’t be sorry.
“Love other people as well as you do yourself.
You can’t go wrong when you love others.”
Romans 13:8(MSG)
