THOSE EYES ARE WATCHING

Since I started the card ministry in 2004, many generous people have donated money for supplies. (We still need cards to recycle and envelopes to send with the cards.) I really do appreciate all the different things I’ve had to use for decorations. These have blessed me in many ways and have kept the ministry fun and interesting for days without end.

I started making little people and animals. Someone furnished tiny eyes to use and that really added a cute note, especially on the monkey cards that “the other Linda” drew for me. These have made funny and encouraging get-well cards.

One thing I have learned, however, is those tiny eyes have a lot of static in them and when I try to get a couple out of the holder more than two cling to my hands and then my clothes. One night when I was getting drowsy, I spilled some on my lap all over my fuzzy PJ’s.

Later, I got up to go to the kitchen and didn’t realize I was leaving a trail of eyes behind me. (This reminded me of how Hansel and Gretel left a trail of breadcrumbs in the woods behind them.) These eyes are so small they get crushed into the carpet. I’m sure some have been vacuumed up, but it seems like every time I ride through the house little eyes are watching me. I lean over and pick up as many as possible, but it is getting harder for me to straighten back up when gathering things off the floor or out in the yard.

I was reminded of the little joke I heard that goes like this: Children were lined up to enter the cafeteria. There was a basket of apples on the left and a note read “Take only one, God is watching you.” At the end of the line there was a basket of cookies. A mischievous little boy had written on the sign: “Take all you want, God is watching the apples.”

Those little eyes are looking up at me, but is God watching us? And if he is, does he like what he sees? Are we following his commandments? Do we know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior? Do we read his word and apply it in our lives? Are we aware that God is watching the “cookies” just as he watches the “apples?” Am I an apple or a cookie? Which are you? Apples are healthy, but some cookies are sinfully delicious. One of my favorite songs is “His Eye is on the Sparrow.”

Thanks to my dear friend, the other Linda, who did some research for me, the following verses from the Bible answer questions about “the eyes of the Lord:”

Genesis 6:8 “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”

Psalms 33:18 “But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him…”

Psalms 34:15 “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous…”

Proverbs 15:3 “The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.”

Proverbs 5:21 “For a man’s ways are in full view of the Lord.”

1 Peter 3:12 “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Deuteronomy 13:18 “… because you obey the Lord your God, keeping all his commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right in his eyes.”

Because of space limitations, I was unable to present the complete verses and there are some verses not quoted. Enjoy your own research!

Linda Beck resides in Woodleaf