Tunnel Vision

Today while reading one of my devotionals, I saw this word tunnel vision, and I thought, how many times do I have tunnel vision when the Lord sends someone my way, but I am so focused on the here and now, that I can't see my opportunity of witnessing.

Sometimes we are so focused on what someone looks like, what they are wearing, how untidy they are, they we do not see Jesus. When we see the guy on the street with the sign, will work for food, or if someone comes up to us and ask us for help to buy gas to get back home, etc., we are so focused on how bad they look, that we do not see Jesus asking us for help. Now how many of you missed the point there. How many thought when I said Jesus asking us for help, thought I was referring to this person being Jesus and we are to give to him? No my point was, that Jesus is asking us to help Him by witnessing to this person, and by showing this person the compassion He would show them if He were standing there instead of us. That is what I mean by tunnel vision, your focus is on the person standing there in the here and now, and not on the word of God and what the Lord says we are to do to the least of these.

When you attend a big beautiful church, full of people, and it comes time to pass the offering plate, do you think, this church is doing great, they do not need my little bit of money. If so, then once again you have missed the point, and have tunnel vision. All you see is the big, beautiful building with lots of other people to give. You miss out on your blessing of having your tithe multiplied back to you, and the blessing of supporting the least of these in other countries as missionaries, or right in your own back yard, when your church helps out a member who has lost their job, or lost their home to a fire, or has fallen ill and needs a little help to get by. Where do you think these funds come from? Sad to say, but a lot of times out of the pastor's pockets, or the secretary, or whoever gets the phone call in a smaller church, because of this very reason. Tunnel Vision. The people can not see past the offering plate as giving unto the community and helping the least of these, all they can see is a plate of money being collected to fatten the wallet of the pastor. That sounds harsh, but people do think that way.

What about when you go out to eat, do you try to figure out what the tip is to the exact amount that you are supposed to give, or do you try to bless that person for taking care of you, and working and bringing your food to you so you do not have to cook and clean. Someone made the comment the other day, that every time they go out to eat, people expect them to leave $5 for a tip. I personally think that you should never leave less than $5. But hey, that is just me, and how I feel about blessing others. Especially on Sundays, when you come out of church and go straight to your favorite restaurant to eat, (so that you do not have to do any hard work on the Sabbath) but yet we cause others to have to work on the Sabbath, so that they are not able to go to church. Now, I know some of you are saying they do not have to work on Sundays, they choose to, well, being a single mom for the most part of my children's lives, I can tell you that sometimes you do have to work on Sundays, and you do not have a choice.

Having said all of this, and using these different examples, I am just trying to point out how easy it is to have tunnel vision, and not look at the whole situation, that the Lord has put before you, and how He is giving you an opportunity to bless what He calls the least of these. AMEN!

Matthew 13 v 16-17....But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.....

Neta