“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

I wouldn’t exactly call it a “whirlwind romance”, but when my husband I became engaged about six months after our first date, I had not yet met most of his family. Seeing the handwriting on the wall, Todd’s mom had made an impromptu visit from their home in Illinois to Dallas a couple of months earlier to meet me and (apparently!) had given her approval of the match, but it wasn’t until my first visit to Springfield later that year that I finally met the man that I would begin calling “Dad” just a few months later.

Todd and I had been anxious to make the most of our time with his family over Spring Break that year, so as soon as school got out on Friday, we loaded the car and set out on the 12-hour drive. Although excited to see Todd’s family home and meet these people who would become so important to me, as the drive progressed, I found myself becoming more nervous. Would they like me? Would they accept me? Would they forgive my East coast accent and (occasional) attitude?

When we finally rolled into town around 3:00 am that morning, we quietly let ourselves in the front door. It was then that Todd’s dad appeared at the top of the stairs. In a robe and obviously having been asleep for hours, he simply smiled and said, “Good to have you home. See you in the morning” before turning to go back to bed.

That was it. I had met (well, seen) my future father-in-law, and although I hadn’t spoken at all, a wave of relief came over me and I turned to Todd and said, “His eyes! You have his eyes!”

It was a momentary interaction, but in it I had discovered all that I needed to know. I instantly knew that I was going to be at home in that place and with those people. In that familiar pair of eyes I could see that I would be welcomed, loved, and accepted.

I hope that you are finding our current Lenten focus as powerful and meaningful as I am. We are just getting started with the series called “Eyes on Jesus” but the Lord is already using it to shift my focus. As we dig into the various characters of the passion narrative, we are discovering how those individuals looked upon Jesus. What did they see as Jesus journeyed to the cross? How did they experience Him? Where can we relate? How does that help us to see Jesus more clearly?

Personally, as I think about keeping my eyes on Jesus this Lent and the practices that help me to do that, such as daily devotions and regular worship and prayer, I am also reminded that these practices are less about me and more about what I see through them. I’m grateful for the ways in which these practices and rhythms of discipleship keep me focused on Jesus, but I’m even more grateful for what they reveal to me about my Savior; who He is, why He came, why I need Him, and how those realities impact the way in which I interact with the world around me.

The reality is that when I keep my eyes on Jesus, my vision shifts. I begin to have a clearer picture of those He loves and how He loves them. I begin to see how I fall short in deserving that love and how I fail to love the way He loved. Perhaps most amazing, however, is that when I fix my eyes on Jesus, I start to see myself through His eyes, and just as my father-in-law’s eyes put my anxious heart to rest all those years ago, by His grace and mercy, when I look at myself through Jesus’ eyes I see that I am welcomed, loved, accepted, forgiven and free. Thanks be to God!

What about you? How are you making Jesus the focus of your Lenten journey? Where are you seeing as you look through His eyes this week?