Seeing Through Different Eyes

On Monday, in the greenhouse, I was sorting out my tomato plants. I put on my gardening gloves and started work. I felt a sharp stinging pain in the palm of my left hand. I took off my glove quickly. A large wasp flew out. He was as unhappy with the situation as I was.

I felt discomfort; he was annoyed that his comfortable resting place had been disturbed. …And I thought wasps were only around on warm summer days!

Yesterday I looked out into the garden. All was unusually calm. There were no small birds on the bird feeders, no pigeons waiting underneath. Then I spotted it. Sitting on the trellis, overlooking the garden was a beautiful sparrowhawk, watching, waiting. She stayed  for about ten minutes, then flew off.

I saw a beautiful sparrowhawk; our garden birds saw danger; the sparrowhawk was looking for her breakfast. …’Sparrow’ hawk? I’ve only seen her eating pigeons!

Yesterday, walking towards our Men’s Shed, I felt a ‘splat’ on my shoulder. I looked. A herring gull passing overhead had left a well-aimed deposit. It was a surprise that led to humorous but not always helpful comments. Some thought it was a sign of good luck; they wanted me to choose their lottery numbers!

I saw a sweatshirt needing the washing machine; my friends saw a source of entertainment; I didn’t get a chance to ask the seagull what he thought.  …‘Herring Gulls? Round here they eat chips, burgers, ice-creams…

This morning I read… Paul and Barnabas visiting Lystra, in modern-day Turkey, met a man who was ‘crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked.’

The crowd saw a problem, a man with disability dependent on handouts. Paul and Barnabas saw it as an opportunity for their God to work. The man discovered faith, healing, transformation.

Today I’m praying for the grace, the imagination, the faith, not always to jump to quick conclusions… to see people and situations through different eyes.