My husband & I went to a marriage conference recently where we had to do an exercise that had me squirming like a middle school girl. We were instructed to stand almost nose to nose & lock eyes with our spouse. Like, I can look at my husband, but to let our eyes linger long, like five minutes looooong, was H-A-R-D!
Maybe it’s just a me-thing because he stared with such tender eyes while I wiggled inside, trying hard not to let mine dart away. To look at anyone with a long, sustained gaze feels so uncommon in our 90-to-nothin’ culture.
So often we let capacity determine priorities, rather than the other way around.😳
Peter’s first encounter with Jesus began this way when he was known as Simon. John tells us how Jesus “looks intently at Simon’ the moment they meet.
The root for that kind of looking means to stare with locked gaze, to look in a long, concentrated way with special interest or love. The Lord loved Simon deeply with His gaze, then followed it with a statement that let Simon know Jesus saw him beneath the surface…
He affirms that his name is Simon, but casts vision with a new name: “Peter” which means “rock”.
When was the last time we let the Lord lock eyes with us? When have we let Him call us by name, & lingered long enough to hear Him whisper a new name for a new season?
Staring long into my husband’s eyes did something miraculous in my heart…it broke a self-imposed shield of protection that meted out little emotional transparency at a time. I couldn’t hide my thoughts or unease or whatever, it was there & eventually spilled out of my eyes as he stared into mine. It was such a tender moment that would’ve been missed with all of my busy rushing.
The Lord longs to lock eyes with you. He wants to break down the self-sufficient walls we’ve built around our hearts with His battering ram of eternal love.
We need offer nothing, but our gaze. And when we do? Well, we might just receive a new name for a new season… Will we let Him lock eyes & linger long enough for his love to unlock the deep recesses of our hearts?
Oh, how He loves us…we just need stop long enough to let Him 💞🤗
JUDGES 13:1-14:20
JOHN 1:29-51
PSALM 102:1-28
PROVERBS 14:15-16
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