Why "Eyes Wide Open"?

Since I started this blog, I’ve thought of posting things other than tips for small group leaders but haven’t ventured out. I’ve had ideas for postings, but have never sat down to write them. So, tonight I decided to break the ice and write my first non-tip post.

The biggest blog challenge for me was to come up with a name for the blog. I didn’t want to use my name – that would have been too boring. I didn’t want to give it a name that limited it to children’s ministry – that would have been too narrow. I wanted a name that was compelling and had significance, so I decided to look through my recent quiet time notes to see if anything piqued my interest. It didn’t take long for me to come across this quote from Isaiah 55, “Come to me with your eyes wide open. Listen, and you will find life.” (NLT)

That’s it! “Eyes Wide Open.” God is asking us to keep our eyes open to what He’s doing in our world, in our life, in the lives of those around us. When our eyes are open, we are attuned to Him. When our heart is far from Him, we can’t see what He’s up to. Isaiah 43:19 says, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”

The LAST thing I want is to have God doing a new thing in my life and the lives of those around me and miss it. I never want to be so myopic that I can’t see what God’s up to. I want to keep my eyes wide open in anticipation of seeing God at work.

After I decided on the title “Eyes Wide Open,” I wanted to include the verse in the explanation of the blog, but hadn’t written the number down. When I looked it up again, I realized that the phrase wasn’t “eyes wide open” at all. The verse is Isaiah 55:3 and it says, “Come to my with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life.” It was ears, not eyes! I had written it down wrong in my notes!

For a few seconds, I contemplated changing the name of the blog to “Ears Wide Open” but couldn’t bring myself to do it. It didn’t have the same ring. “Wide eyes” are more appealing than “wide ears.” Wide eyes communicate inquisitiveness; wide ears – well they just make me think of Dumbo. Cute as he may be, Dumbo doesn’t motivate me to live in anticipation of God showing up in my life.

Keep your eyes (and ears) wide open. Watch and listen, and you'll find life!