One of the most priceless gifts is the ability to see things as they truly are. To be able to have an elevated view of a situation, a clear understanding of one’s capacity, and most importantly, the ability to see another person for who they are now while recognizing the greatness that lies sleeping inside them.
Every human needs to be “seen.” Too often, we draw hasty conclusions from what we see on the surface. This leads us down the road of inaccurate and incomplete assessments about that person, their choices, and the resulting circumstances of their lives.
Have you ever had an opinion about someone that was less than stellar and then you got to know them better and now your opinion of them is different? It’s probably because now you have some context of their life and what they have been or are currently going through.
Is it human nature or human laziness that tends to push us to so quickly, judge, assess, and categorize, everyone who enters our sphere? I think it’s a little of both.
Since primitive man, survival has been our primary instinct. Though in today’s timeline, we are most likely not running from a hungry polar bear or a lion, we are still programmed to assess our surroundings, identify danger levels, and avoid them. So how does this apply to how we “see” other humans?
First, we assess the threat level. ” Does this person threaten anything I fiercely guard in my life? Physical safety, relationships, societal or professional standing, emotional security, mental capacity, or core beliefs?
If we feel any degree of a threat in these areas, we will make an instinctive decision on whether we will incorporate that person into our sphere, or keep them at a monitored distance with our first impressions intact.
Regretfully, I have been party to this multiple times, from both the distributing and receiving end of the equation. In my efforts to turn this weakness into a strength, I have adopted and frequently practice this exercise:
If God sees me from an elevated view of where I have been and where I am trying to go and can love me unconditionally, because he “sees” all of my story, then I should be able to offer that same grace to the person standing in front of me.
This has been a humbling experience as I view that person from an elevated perspective, my first impressions are dismissed sooner than later and I feel the desire to understand them better. This addresses the “laziness” aspect of human nature. To be able to truly understand someone, we must be willing to invest the required effort and time necessary to have an expanded context of their life gained from our elevated understanding and perspective of them.
This exercise has become one of the most worthy uses of my time. The more clearly I have eyes to see, the more I understand, the more I have compassion, the more I freely love. I am slower to judge and more willing to forgive. Those increased characteristics in and of themselves, make the return on this investment more than worthwhile.
EYES TO SEE is created inside aluminum tire wheel wells, that represent the journey we are all on of finding fulfillment through deeper human relationships. The substrates are composed of different organic and inorganic materials, coated with concrete, gypsum, and plaster and colored with natural ground mineral Micha. No two are alike, representing the uniqueness of each individual. The multiple facial expressions in the eyes are reflective of the individual’s need to be seen and earnestly striving to have eyes to see people and things as they truly are.
Enjoy!