little faces are bright and enthusiastic, and every eye in the building is on them. How cute they are--even squirming, jumping around, pinching the arm of the kid next to them--we smile at all of it.
Then it happens.
As the children stand there waiting for their song to begin, one of them spots Mom or Dad in the crowd. Her face lights up and she begins to wave. The room is
filled with people, many of them strangers, but that child sees only Mom or Dad. And that's all that matters. She sees no one else in the whole room. And when the music starts, she's singing for them, and no one else.
There's an old song entitled, "I Only Have Eyes For You." The last stanza is "You are
here; so am I. Maybe millions of people go by, but they all disappear from view, and I only have eyes for you." The reason? Love! In fact, the singer says that his "love must be a kind of blind love; I can't see anyone but you."
Can I say that my Christian life has been like that--looking for the Eye of my Heavenly Father, hoping to see a glimpse of His approval--just because I love Him? Can I say that as I move through my days and years I've been striving to keep my eyes on Him for my guidance and strength? Do I see only Him when it
comes to my worship and my walk with Christ?
There's no way around it--this affects my testimony. Life is filled with all kinds of
spectators, many of them going their own ways with their own problems. But there are still those who are watching to see what kind of testimony I will give and whether or not my behavior matches my words. They are watching me as I watch Him. Do they see me with my eyes on Father?
Getting older means that I have more of my life behind me than I do in front of me. It means that I can think back and remember things I wish I had done differently. Mistakes, gaffes, misunderstandings, bad decisions--and my children saw all of them. They were watching me, because that's what all kids do. I can only pray that God has helped them remember some of my better qualities!
On this Father's Day, may every one of us--men and women alike--remember to keep
our eyes on Our Heavenly Father, and follow and obey Him. May we only have eyes for Him.
Because others are watching.
--Rocky Henriques, www.uticabc.com