Eye Contact

Last week I had the opportunity to speak to an FCA group at a local high school.

It was toward the end of a very full week, early in the morning, and I was feeling very weak.

“Surely someone else could do a better job,” I thought.

But God gave me something to say.

It was simple.

I knew if I could just get my body to show up, my spirit would do the talking.

The last decade of volunteering in my community has opened my eyes to how easily we can show love to the least of these.

So I shared with the students that they can make an impact on the kids around them who need to be seen & known.

I mentioned “Even making eye contact could be all that a person needs from you.”

It’s true.

We live in a world where we’re all so comfortable looking down, looking at our phones, and staying in a place of escape.

Eye contact makes us feel seen.

Known.

Loved.

I think of the woman at the well who suddenly found herself locking eyes with the Son of God.

He knew her.

He proved it.

Over the last few days I’ve been hearing that accuser’s voice telling me “you could have done better last week … you could have done more … you missed an opportunity to really inspire those students.”

Is eye contact really a good place to start??

Yesterday I was walking around a school campus I had never stepped foot on before. The Director of Operations was showing me and a friend around, sharing the overwhelming needs, and telling her stories of how they survive every day.

A little boy caught our eye as he stumbled along with his head down, refusing to look up even when his name was called.

“What’s going on ____? Why are you looking at the ground?” she asked him.

I watched while he ignored her.

So she caught up to him.

Put her hand on his shoulder.

She asked him what was causing him to look at the ground while he walked instead of looking up.

I’m not sure what he told her.

She protected his privacy, and I respected that deeply.

We then followed behind him as he walked with his head a little higher.

She introduced us to his PE teacher and then encouraged the teacher to keep an eye on the young man.

“He’s having a tough day,” she said.

The PE teacher immediately headed over in his direction.

The little boy was sitting down on a bench.

He was looking straight ahead.

As I began to process the experience today, the Spirit showed me that eye contact really does matter.

It’s a way the children of God can be the expression of God to His people.

So many are discouraged.

Worn out.

Feeling unseen.

We can see them.

It starts with eye contact.

Maybe a hand on the shoulder.

Then we can let them go and pray to our Father something as simple as “Lord, they need you … will you check on them today?”

It’s not news to Him.

It’s just part of our engagement and enjoyment of Him.

Learning to lean on the One who sees it all, knows us all, and hears us when we pray.