Eyes

When is the last time you were talking to someone and you took the time to stop whatever it was that you were doing and to look at them in the eyes?

I was challenged by a friend several weeks ago by something she had learned.  She was at a personal development event where the guest speaker shared a statistic of how most children have only 2 minutes of parents undivided attention a day.  2 MINUTES!?  I'm not sure about you, but that statistic just blew me away.  However, as we sat discussing this, my ultra superior ego began to diminish.  Of course MY children have more than 2 minutes of ME!  I'm with them ALL.OF.THE.TIME.  (Is what I was thinking.)  But as I sat there and listened to my friend I began to ask myself, "Do they have MY attention?"  And when I say do they have my attention....am I down at their level looking at them and listening without ANYTHING else going on.  OUCH!  That one got me. 

So I have been trying to be more intentional while communicating with people.  I am trying to stop what I am doing and look directly at people when I am speaking.  What am I finding?

First off, I am finding that my children have more they want to share with me, than I ever realized.  Second of all, I am finding that in my every day life we are surrounded by a culture of people who do not know how to look people in the eyes.

Today for example, I was at the dentist.  Now, I LOVE my dentist.  They are some of the nicest individuals you can come across.  They always try to make each experience a pleasant one and have always been more sociable than most.  However, as I was talking with my dentist (again who I really respect & am glad that I go to.) I realized, that while I was looking at him, he was speaking to me and in my general direction I am not sure if we made eye contact more than maybe 1 time.  I'm not faulting him or anything, but I am realizing that our generation is losing a true art of communicating with one another.

My challenge for you is to try and be more intentional when talking with others to look at them and see if it makes a difference for you.  Please come back and share what you experience when you start making a concentrated effort to focus and be in the moment with each and every person that you encounter.

After sitting here typing I was reminded of the following Brandon Heath song.
Give Me Your Eyes

What if we were to take the challenge of stopping and looking into the eyes of others one step further.  What if we were to not stop what we are doing and focus on others, but to look at them through the eyes of our Dear Heavenly Father and see them the way He sees us.



Have a great day!

Misti