I had an entirely different direction I was going to go with this writing. But lately, I have been asking the Lord to open my eyes, direct my steps, and help me see Him in the little things I so often overlook.

If you know me well, you know I love old things. I love walking through antique shops, finding forgotten treasures, and seeing beauty in things that may be broken, worn, or tarnished. There is just something about seeing the potential in something others may have passed right by.

This week, my husband Cody, and I traveled to Round Top for a little getaway to celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary. We originally had a pretty elaborate trip planned, but life has kicked us around quite a bit lately, and we had to scale things back. While there was some disappointment in changing those  plans, I knew the Lord would work it out and that big New England Fall trip would happen when the timing was right. Little did I know He was about to use something as simple as antiquing to speak to my heart.

On our way there, Cody asked if I had a list of things I was looking for. I explained that I didn’t. This time, I was praying that the Lord would allow my eyes to fall on pieces that are meant for me. When I said that, it had the Holy Spirit hit me. 

Why am I not praying that same prayer over my everyday life? I should be praying this prayer in more ways than one. Not just toward an old piece of furniture or a forgotten treasure, but toward HIM. 

Toward the person who needs encouragement. Toward opportunities to show the love of Christ. Toward the blessings I’ve become so accustomed to that I hardly notice them anymore. Toward the beauty hidden in difficult seasons.

In 2 Kings 6:17 Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” Elisha’s servant was surrounded by an enemy army, but when the Lord opened his eyes, he saw that God’s protection had been there all along. His circumstances hadn’t changed. His ability to see what God was doing had.

How often are we so consumed by the junk right in front of us that we miss what the Lord is doing all around us? We see the disappointments, the brokenness, and the plans that didn’t work out. But what if we started asking the Lord to show us what HE sees?

When I go antiquing, I don’t immediately dismiss something because it’s old or tarnished. I see what it could become. And isn’t that a beautiful picture of what the Lord does with us?

Isaiah 61:3 reminds us that He brings beauty from ashes. He restores, redeems, and brings purpose to things that may appear broken.

This now has me coming back to our anniversary trip. We didn’t get the elaborate getaway we originally planned. Something we had been wanting to do since we got married. But we got time together. We slowed down, enjoyed the simple things, and right there in the middle of a cow pasture antique show the Lord reminded me of something I desperately needed to hear.

What if I had been so focused on what we couldn’t do that I missed the beauty of what was right in front of me? And how often do I do that in everyday life?

My prayer is that we would begin each morning asking the Lord to direct our eyes. To help us notice the people, the opportunities, and the little glimpses of His goodness that we might otherwise walk right past.

Matthew 6:21 reminds us, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” What a reminder to be intentional about where we place our focus and what we allow our hearts to treasure. Are we so consumed by the things of this world and the circumstances right in front of us that we miss the Lord working all around us?

Through this experience, he reminded me that the most beautiful treasures aren’t the ones we set out looking for. Most of the time they’re the ones the Lord opens our eyes to see. Lord, direct our eyes so that our hearts may remain fixed on You. 🤎