Her Father's Eyes

When I was growing up there was a song by Amy Grant called Father's Eyes. It was a song about having God's eyes and seeing things the way He would. In the 2nd verse it states 

And when you're called to stand and tell, just what you saw in me. More than anything I know, I want your words to be: She had her Father's Eyes. Her Father's Eyes. Eyes that found the good in things, when good was not around. Eyes that found the source help, when help would not be found. Eyes full of compassion, seeing every pain. Knowing what you're going through and feeling it the same. 

This song became my prayer as a child. Every chance I had, I would play this song on my tape deck; even now as an adult I play this song on an MP3 player. About 7 years ago someone did me wrong. So wrong in fact that they bore false witness against me, took me to court, did everything they could to hurt me. It made my friends furious. I couldn't get mad. I tried. I wanted to hate that person. I couldn't. I'd go out and my friends would mention the situation and they'd get angry and I would just sit there. One day, we saw this person out in public and I said "Hey, I know you!" they ignored me. My friends were livid. I just walked on. Later that night as we were eating dinner my friend said "You have an uncanny understanding of grace and mercy." That doesn't mean that I am not hurt by what happened, or I am not angry, because believe me I was hurt and I was angry, but I chose to see what God saw in the situation. 

Recently, I was banned from a Christian chat room because I said "People need to stop being idiots." The room owner came in on the tail end of the conversation and swore I said that one of his admins was an idiot. I was banned. Earlier tonight a friend of mine asked if I wanted to come to the room, and I said "sure" we tried for two hours to get me in the room, I even apologized to the room owner, though I knew I wasn't guilty of what he thought was the truth; the room owner said "are you going to behave?" Again using accusatory language instead of being gracious. 

I know not everyone is gracious; not everyone is gifted with mercy and grace, but honestly as Christians we should be gifted with grace and mercy. We were extended mercy and grace under no certain terms and we too should offer that grace and mercy to others. 

This is another thing that runs people away from God. People run because they think that God is accusatory. Satan is the accuser. Satan is known as the "Accuser of the brethern" (Rev. 12:10). He accuses of of our sins before God. Satan does NOT want God to extend grace and forgiveness to us, nor does He want us to receive God's grace. Satan wants us to suffer, and in order for him to get his way, he will use those who call themselves Christians. 

When I think of Satan as the accuser, I think of a courtroom. In that courtroom is every person you have ever known, or touched their lives. The jury is made up of Satan's minions; God is the judge, Satan is the prosecuting lawyer. He starts telling the entire jury every time you stumbled, every mistake you made. He tells the jury every thought you had that was evil and vile. He tells them every word you said that was vile and disgusting. You sit there before God; there is nothing you can do, nothing you can say. Your hands are bound by chains, and you know that because there is nothing that you can do that is right you are going straight to hell and suddenly Jesus stands up, He looks at God and says "All of this is true. They had bad thoughts, they used bad language, they made their mistakes, but right here, in this book, is where I saved this person. This is where I forgave their sin, this is where they repented. Their name is right here!" Suddenly the chains that bound you are gone, you are free.

Grace and mercy completely undeserved are given. While Christians can't be perfect, we can imitate Christ, we can have our Father's eyes and show grace and mercy.