"Give Me Your Eyes"

This morning I forgot to bring my iPod when I went running, which meant that I actually had to think at 6 a.m. in the morning instead of listening to music to divert my attention from the uphill climbs and high altitude of northern Rwanda. As I was running through the herds of people walking down the streets of Musanze (yes, even at 6 a.m.), I kept hearing the lines of a particular song pop in my head. It is a Christian song by Brandon Heath that became popular right before I left to come to Rwanda. Every time I would hear the song on the radio in the US, I would feel so convicted about how I viewed people in this world, about my lack of attentiveness to the people all around me. This morning, the words to this song kept playing through my mind as I looked in the eyes of the people that passed me by. I prayed the Lord would give me the capability to see these people as He sees them, to love them as He loves them.

Here are a few of the words:

All these people, going somewhere
Why have I never cared?
Give me your eyes for just one second,
Give me your eyes so I can see.
Everything that I keep missing,
Give me your love for humanity.
Give me your arms for the brokenhearted,
Ones who are far beyond my reach.
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten,
Give me your eyes so I can see.
I've Been there a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just moving past me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
Well I want a second glance
So give me a second chance
To see the way you see the people all along
Give me your eyes for just one second,

Give me your eyes so I can see.

These words are incredibly powerful to me. How often do we pass people by on the streets and never even give a second thought to their lives? I wonder how much clearer I could see the people of this world if I had the chance to see their hearts through His eyes for just one second. How much more would my heart break for them if I could understand just how brokenhearted they really are? How much more would I put my own trivial needs aside if I could really fathom the critical needs of others? My prayer here in Rwanda is that my eyes will be opened to the people that surround me in my daily life. Not just for the kids at my school or my village, but even the hundreds of faces that pass me on my morning runs.