[vc_single_image image=”14198″ img_size=”700×400″ alignment=”center”][special_heading title=”” subtitle=”by Tim Mooney” separator=”no”]
The Word in Scripture
The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. Matthew 6:22-23a
Reflection
As many of you know, one of my prized material possessions is my Jeep Wrangler. I bought it brand new in 1997, and have proceeded to wear out three soft tops (on my way to my fourth!), turn my driver’s seat into an exposed piece of thin, ripped foam, and drive almost 390,000 miles!!! Needless to say, she has been a reliable and beloved partner in crime!
But a few months ago the engine light started coming on without any signs of something going wrong with the engine. My mechanics did some precautionary maintenance, but then she started to not start (pun intended!). She would fire up easily in the morning, but if I’d driven a few miles and the engine had warmed, when I returned to start it, it would often turn over but not catch. Then one night it wouldn’t even turn over, and it turns out the ignition was broken. A new ignition was installed and I thought to myself, “Happy sailing again!” Wrong. On occasion it still would not start! Finally my mechanics figured out that my engine sensors were going bad, and when they either cleaned or replaced the sensors, voila! She started every time!
Once my Jeep was back to herself, I suddenly noticed the difference in my attitude and behavior before and after the repairs were made. When I couldn’t rely on my Jeep to start, I found myself not running errands, not going to meet friends, and I realized how much I limited what I would do or where I would go. And it struck me: We do this with our own lives! If we’ve had a couple of experiences of rejection, or failure, or disappointment, or hurt, our soul sensors begin to think this is the way it is, and we limit what we will do or where we will go. My Jeep wouldn’t start not because something was wrong with the engine, but because the sensors sensed something was wrong. But once the sensors were cleaned or repaired, my life was fuller, richer. Jesus said, “The eye is a lamp of the body.” In other words, how we perceive things determines what is possible for us, and it effects our whole embodied existence. Could it be that we need to clean or replace the sensors of our souls, to see that there is nothing wrong other than the way we have come to habitually expect life to be?
Prayer
Holy One, clean the sensors of my soul, wipe away the grime of fear, disappointment, distrust that I might see with the eyes of your Spirit, your Love, your Grace, your Abundance. Amen.
Intention
During the week, notice your reactions to your desires, longings, and intentions, and take a moment to wonder if your reaction is a reflection of the way it is, or if you have learned to react this way. Is there another way to see it? What would it mean for you to clean your sensors and look at the situation with new eyes?
