Spidey-sense

I wanted to write about a recent podcast series we did concerning a trip we took to Italy.  The trip was initially intended to be a vacation for Don and Carole who were going to take them with their daughter and son-in-law.  But after Don’s passing the trip obviously changed.  Carole prayed if it was to be cancelled completely or if it was to evolve into another.  Well, it worked out that Carole, Martha and I embarked on the journey together.  It was a trip full of smiles and tears as we experienced Italy and reminisced on Don and his life. The voyage was a lifetime memory. During this post I want to address our journey through the Vatican.  I believe it was an object lesson fashioned by the Lord to give me a visual picture of walking with a single eye.  On Episode #337 of the Shulamite Podcast, we discussed my experience as we walked through the 4 miles of the Vatican museum. Thousands upon thousands of people visit this site daily.  The collection of art is eclectic and vast.  Statues, tapestries, paintings, architecture all adorn this contained city.  It is amazing to say the least. Well as I stated in the podcast we were ushered through to tour it in a most unusual way.  It was as if we were in a bubble.  We moved through the sea of people as if we floated.  We interacted amongst ourselves unaffected by the throngs of people. Now from childhood I have always been keenly aware of everything around me.  It probably originated from fears but it developed into a spidey-sense.  Martha has joked that I should have been recruited for the CIA.  Anyway it has been a blessing and a curse.  Heightened awareness can often be very distracting. But during our walk through the Vatican, I experienced singular focus.  It was amazing.  Someone unwittingly commented to the podcast, “You didn’t care about all the people in the Vatican that Jesus lived and died for.” My answer to that is, NO, at that moment I was focused on what the Spirit had me on. And this is precisely the point.  Amazingly this critical commenter clarified for me what was transpiring. I believe God’s object lesson for me was to walk and be aware of only Him and what He was on. How often do the countless distractions that bombard us daily take our focus off of the Lord? Heck the buzz of a fly can capture my attention.  But if you know me you are clear that I am not promoting removing ourselves from contact. Yet I do encourage following the leading of the Spirit in all our interaction. So what is the lesson being orchestrated here?  I believe it is the “single eye” spoken of in Matthew 6:22.

“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore your eye be single, your whole body shall be full of light.”

To have singleness of eye is to have honed in focus.  It is a single directed vision upon the Lord.  This is what Christ had as He walked through throngs of people.  Though God, He was a man.  He looked clearly and keenly towards that which the Father Himself was gazing.  And this was His genius. For years, after being saved, I wondered how an earth could Jesus handle the sheer weight of NEED.  I now can tell you how!  He was aware of the Father and the Father guided His eyes and heart.  How else could He praise the Father that He hid it from the wise and learned and revealed it unto babes? see Matthew 11:25 How? Because Jesus had a Single Eye and this is what He wants us to have as well. “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed–or indeed only ONE. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42