In our culture how often do we make eye contact? It seems that when someone we don’t know well talks to us it is easy to look at them but not always into their eyes. When we respond how many of us actually looks somewhere else over their shoulder or at their shirt almost as though we are embarrassed to hold eye contact? How often do we make eye contact with the people we know and love? How easy is it to make eye contact with our children when we say look at me and listen? As moms we know if the child is not looking us dead in the eyes they are not listening. So as adults does that translate as no eye contact = no listening?
It probably has to do more with how comfortable we are with another person as to how much eye contact we hold. Our eyes although flesh and a physical part of our body, definitely reveals our emotions, they are truly a window to our souls. We don’t always want to reveal our souls or our feelings to people we don’t know, we can’t trust strangers with that type of depth.
This morning as I was driving in the rain I glanced only for a moment at the person in the minivan closest to my car and looked at the woman. She was wearing the type of uniform a nurse would wear, her hair pulled back and her eyes looked worn and tired. I only looked for a second or less and I could feel her pain right there in the rain on the road and I said a prayer for her.
Keeping our guard up protects us from hurt but it also hides us from love. Unveil your eyes, your heart and your soul to others and maybe instead of being hurt you will feel love. Today at lunch time try to make eye contact with the person you buy your food from and say a little prayer for them. Today look into the eyes of a stranger and you will see more than you may want to see but it is probably what you need to see today. Let’s stop looking past people, start looking them in the eyes and begin to love others and let them love us as well.
Good reflection Lori.
I cannot help but think of the way that Jesus looked at the repentant theif from His cross or the look of the father at the return of his prodigal son. These are looks of unconditional love and not looks of condemnation or ridicule.
Reading your reflection makes me think of the way that I tend to look at others. Is it always the look of love or is it a look of ridicule?
Mother Angelica said that the hardest work that we do is on ourselves. How we see God, others, and ourselves says a great deal about who we are.
Thank you for sharing this today.
God bless you+++
Lori I love today’s reflection. There is so much that we miss when we get busy and don’t take the time to really look into people’s eyes. Today I will make eye contact with as many people as I can and truly get their message.
“Keeping our guard up protects us from hurt but it also hides us from love”. That is a tweet for sure Lori! I notice the eye contact thing all the time. It is amazing how many people don’t really look at each other. God GAZES at people. I want to love people by putting my eyes on them too! Praying for Him to help me get really proficient . An important post today!